You're in my Dreams
by cate8
Summary: AU- Max and Liz have led separate lives, yet is their destiny the same? *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter One

Title: You're in my Dreams  
  
Author: Cate8  
  
Distribution: Ask me first.  
  
Rating: PG-13 There might be a little R later on, but those chapters will be specifically marked.  
  
Category: Roswell, Max/Liz. A little Michael/Maria and Isabel/Alex too.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Roswell the TV show, Jason Katims, and the Roswell High Books by Melinda Metz.  
  
Spoliers: None  
  
Summery: This is an AU. There are still aliens, but Max is not the king and the politics are very different from the show. Tess does not exist. Max and Liz have never physically met. They live separate lives, Liz in Washington and Max in New Mexico. However, someone has been kidnapped in Roswell and Max and Liz are about to find out just who is in charge of their destinies.  
  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
His legs had become a machine, running endlessly to the beat of his ragged breath. His whole body was working in tune to a steady rhythm that propelled him around the trees and through the wet grass. He had lost feeling in his body over half an hour ago; his only concern was the thoughts that were spinning through his mind, like laundry inside a washing machine. Over and over, his anxieties flopped over one another, trying to gain his attention like they wanted to be the first to bring Max into a panic attack. Max, unable to clear his mind, took in each individual concern as he ran. He thought about how he would get his sister, Isabel, off his back, how he would help the children at the hospital without revealing his alien side, and if he would ever find Her.  
  
Her. She. Liz. It was an imaginary woman, someone Max dreamt about almost every night and thought about all through the day. For years Max had felt the absence of love in his life. He had divided his attention between his work at the hospital and with leading his alien race. They were tough jobs but Max knew that if he wanted to, he could make romance part of his life. Not that he'd admit that to Isabel. She was constantly on Max's case trying to act the matchmaker. She would convince Max into going on dates with these skinny, blond women in modeling that had nothing to talk about but fashion and gossip. Max hated Isabel's insistence that he go out with this woman and that woman- surly she would be The One. But the women never did make it into Max's heart. Instead, they only managed to make Max more sure that he would never find Her. He was pretty convinced he had made Liz up, created the world she lived in and the way her brown hair flew in the wind. But Max still felt the hope that maybe there really was a Liz out there in the world that would reciprocate his love like no other woman could.  
  
Max's dreams were like storybooks, they held endless chapters of a life he could share with Her. The dreams had started nine years ago when Max was seventeen. They had started out with images of a petite woman with shoulder length brown hair and wide, brown eyes. She was full of life and curiosity. She had fun, dancing with her friends at nightclubs, but was serious too, studying hard to gain entrance into Harvard's science program. Max had seen her cooking dinner for her little brothers, and swimming on the beach when she was a small child in a Little Mermaid bathing suit. He felt that if Liz was real, he would know her whole life, and everything she cherished. If only he could get a sign, something to show him that there was hope.  
  
Out of nowhere, someone came colliding into Max hitting him flat in the chest and ridding Max of his previous thoughts. Max fell to the ground having gotten the wind knocked out of him. He looked around startled to the see the body of a young boy panting on the dew-scattered grass.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Max asked, picking himself off the grass, "I didn't see you coming." Max reached out his hand to the boy who was still breathing heavily.  
  
The boy grasped Max's outstretched hand to get up, and for a second, Max felt a pang of unexplained feeling. Yet the emotion that ran sharply through his blood at the hand contact lasted only a second, and Max wasn't able to place it. "Are you okay?" Max asked again, looking into the boy's eyes. "I'm Max, Max Evans."  
  
"I'm okay, thanks." The boy outstretched his hand politely and Max shook it. "I'm Charlie. Sorry I banged into you… Mr. Evans," Charlie wiped some sweat from his brow. And as took his hand away from his forehead Max noticed a deep gash that was bleeding.  
  
"Charlie, you're bleeding. You must have banged into one of the buttons on my t-shirt. Here, if you'll let me take you to the hospital we can clean it up and help prevent any infections."  
  
"You work at the hospital?" Charlie asked, looking at the blood that had wiped off onto his palm.  
  
"Yes. I'm a doctor there. I work with children like you. If you like, you can call your mom on my cell phone so she won't be worried you're running off with a stranger. She can meet us there." Max bent down to be level with Charlie's head. He was a thin boy with light brown colored hair and long legs. He was probably about ten or twelve, Max decided.  
  
"Um, okay," Charlie shrugged his shoulders and took the small cell phone as Max handed it to him. He dialed a number as Max took a few steps back to give him some space. Max heard him speak softly, "Go get Mom, Freddie. I need to ask her a question." He paused for a while. "Mom? Ya, it's me… Where am I? I'm in Geisford's Park… Ya, I was trying to find Joshua… No, I didn't see him. Why? I bumped into this man…" Max sat down on the bench next to the park entrance and waited for Charlie to finish. "His name's Max. He's a doctor at the children's hospital…. it was only a small cut…on my forehead. Ya, he wants to help me clean it up at the hospital. I think so…normal looking…okay. Okay. Bye, Mom." Max saw Charlie press the 'end' button on the cell phone and then hand it back. "My mom says to tell you that we're very trusting people and that you shouldn't even think of tacking advantage of me." Charlie said all this with extreme seriousness and it took all Max had not to laugh. Instead, Max grinned at the boy and told him that they would walk the two blocks to the hospital. 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2  
  
Upon arriving at the Brown's Children's Hospital, Max took Charlie to the front desk. He told Mrs. Harisson, the secretary there, about Charlie's situation and to tell Charlie's mother upon arrival that her son was fine and would be free to go momentarily. Then Max took Charlie into a long room with white cots lined up against the wall. "Wait here, Charlie. I'll send someone in to check that your cut will not get infected." Max motioned for Charlie to sit on one of the cots and then he closed the white curtain around the boy.  
  
Max strode down the hallway and down to his office. He picked up his doctor's jacket, gloves, and more supplies that would be needed later on in the day. He then walked back down the hall to check if Charlie's mother was there. "Mrs. Harrisson, is the mother of Charlie here?"  
  
Mrs. Harrisson looked over her square glasses and pointed with her finger to a tense woman sitting with a magazine in her lap by the waiting room. Max walked up to her and introduced himself. "I'm Charlie's mother, Mrs. Parker. You're the man that collided with him at the park?" Max felt a momentary sense of deejay vu. Parker…the name sounded familiar but he wasn't sure where he's heard it before. Parker was a perfectly common name; it was probably the name of another patient.  
  
"Yes. That was me. I'm afraid that we both ran into each other while I was out running for exercise. Since he was bleeding slightly and I was due in the ER in thirty minutes I thought it best that we check if he needed stitches or anything. I hope I didn't worry you. Charlie is perfectly fine," Max reassured Mrs. Parker.  
  
"Yes, thank you. Will he be out soon? I mean, does he need stitches, does he?"  
  
"We haven't determined that yet, ma'am. But someone's on his way right now to see. I can let you know right after you fill out these forms about Charlie." Max handed her some papers from his bag and then nodded and left for his office. He didn't want to think about the other patients right now. He only wanted to search his mind for when he's heard the name Parker before. Damn, Max knew this would bother him all day.  
  
*  
  
Elizabeth Parker slowly picked up the phone on her bedside table, "Hello?"  
  
"Elizabeth?" The voice on the other line sounded strained, as if the speaker hadn't slept in days.  
  
"Mom?" Liz sat up in bed sharply. Something was wrong, really wrong. "What is it? What's going on? You're not sick, are you? The boys- they're okay, right?" Liz's breathing picked up so she took her mother's moment of silence as a chance for a sip of water from the glass by the bed.  
  
"It's Josh. He's been missing for the past twenty-four hours! No one's seen him since he left home for school. Liz, I called the school and he never got there. I'm worried, so worried!" Liz climbed out of bed and splashed some water on her face while sill keeping the phone between her ear and shoulder. Apparently it had all started when Liz's mom had gotten a visit from two tall men in gray suits when the children were at school. The men had refused to give out their names; their only words were to insist in searching Josh's room. When Mrs. Parker had asked why, they had grabbed her by the arms and pinned her to the door. They told her that Joshua was holding secrets, secrets that could put people's lives in danger and that it was their duty to search for information in Josh's room. When Liz's mom had refused however, they had left, leaving a terribly frightened mother slumped against the inside of the front door. The next day Josh had never shown up at school. Mrs. Parker knew it was those two men who had kidnapped Josh. She had wanted to go to the police, but was afraid of putting Josh's life and reputation in danger. So, Nancy Parker had sent her younger son Charlie into town to look for Joshua.  
  
"Did Charlie find anything?" Liz asked, aghast at how something so intricate and terrible could happen to her little brother. It was like jumping into a movie or fiction novel.  
  
"No," Nancy sighed. "Instead he bumped into a doctor in Lovington and cut his forehead. I had to pick him up at the hospital," she sighed. "Lizzy…I don't know what to do. You're a scientist, tell me, please! How do I get my Joshua back to me?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know Mom, but I'll try to figure something out. From now on though, don't send the boys into town looking for Josh. It will only lead to more trouble. Oh- and keep an eye on the doctor who helped Charlie. I can feel it, he's in on this somehow." 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
A teenage boy was fast asleep in the back of a truck. The truck was moving fast, taking narrow turns at about 90 miles an hour. If the boy were awake he would have figured out that he had been drugged and put unconscious into a burlap bag. He would have noticed that there was a small hole in that bag, big enough for an eye to peek through. Through the hole he would have seen bare deserts on the side of the dirt road. He would have seen a gas station a few yards back and a strange rock formation to his right. He would have heard faint voices talking from the front of the truck. He would have heard their plan. But the boy wasn't due to wake up for at least a few more hours. And by then, it would be too late.  
  
*  
  
Max slipped into the booth by his best friends. It was late evening, but Max had promised Isabel and Alex he would have dinner with the gang.  
  
"Hey Maxwell," Michael nodded his head as his hands were busy with Maria sitting on his lap. She was giggling, trying to get out of Michael's tight grasp. But Michael held on tight with one arm to keep her there and used the other hand to tickle her sides. Maria giggled loudly, causing some other customers at the restaurant to cast frowns their way, so she turned her face to Michael's until their lips were centimeters apart, "Michael…" Maria groaned as he just grinned impishly at her, keeping his tight hold. "Let me go. Please." Michael grinned more widely. "Pretty please?" And then seeing Michael's devilish eyes, "Not even with sugar on top?"  
  
"Nope," Michael said quickly. He leaned his head down to whisper something inaudible in Maria's ear. She blushed and Michael laughed.  
  
"Michael, Maria! Can't you guys stop the PDA for one second?" Isabel groaned, having taken enough of their constant flirting. "Ever since you guys got married all you do is ohh and ahh with each other. It's driving me crazy!" Isabel sank into her seat next to Alex and Max on the other side of the restaurant booth.  
  
Maria sank into Michael's arms contentedly. "You and Alex were the same way right after you guys got hitched." Michael nodded.  
  
"No we weren't!" Isabel flipped her hair as Alex just grinned. But Isabel had seen him and turned a finger towards him, "Alex Whitman, we were never that annoying!"  
  
"Well maybe not as annoying as Michael and Maria, but we were still all cuddly. Remember when that kid saw us kissing and…"  
  
Isabel cut him off laughing, "And he, he said 'Mommy, why is he giving that woman CPR?' That was so funny!" Alex kissed Isabel lightly on the forehead as she shook from laughter.  
  
Max had been watching the whole scene with mixed amusement and longing. Sitting next to The Whitmans and across from The Guerins, he felt out of place, and like a fifth wheel. He let his mind play back their high school years, like an old movie.  
  
They had all been friends since Maria and Alex had found out their secret. Maria had been the first to know after asking Michael why she saw strange images when they kissed. Michael had told her then about his alien heritage. Max and Isabel had been worried that Maria would become disgusted and frightened with Michael's alien side. If she left Michael, they knew he would be devastated. But Maria had taken the news all in good measure; she had provided the trust that the three needed in Roswell, New Mexico as the only human to know their secret. They became more trusting after they let Maria in. Next, Isabel had told Alex about their secret, or rather he had found out himself. In high school Isabel had been so distant and cruel, however Alex had gotten through to her with his instinct in always knowing how Isabel was feeling. He had been so in tune to her emotions that he had suspected as much when Isabel told him later that she was an alien. Both couples had had their share of problems, but in the end it was their alien halves that had sealed their love for one another. Isabel and Alex had gotten married two years ago after Alex had proposed with a huge diamond ring. Maria had thought Michael would never pop the question, but then he had randomly at home, surprising her immensely. Even since, Max had all alone. He had had very few real girlfriends, probably enough to count on one hand. Hanging around with Isabel, Alex, Michael, and Maria was tough even though they were pretty considerate of his feelings. They had made it a tradition to always ask about Max's latest dream with Her.  
  
"Max? Hello? Are you there?" Maria asked waving her hand in front of his eyes. Max shook his head, trying to get back to the present. Right: Restaurant. Friends. Dinner. Meeting.  
  
When Max started to look alive Maria broke into a smile, "Welcome to Earth!" She chuckled using the common phrase with new meaning. Max smiled weakly while Michael punched his arm from across the table. "So tell me, Maxwell, what's the latest fantasy in Liz Land?"  
  
Max sighed, "Well, last night I dreamt that she had a nightmare. I don't remember what it was about, but she was really scared."  
  
Isabel laughed. "I still can't get over how weird these dreams of yours are Max. How can you dream about someone else dreaming? It's so strange."  
  
Max shrugged. "I don't know." Alex caught Maria's eye, "Maybe Liz is an alien trying to contact Max through his dreams. You know, so he can save her from the evil humans." Max shook his head, totally missing the joke, "No, no, she's not an alien. I've known her for nine years. I know she's human- if real at all."  
  
"You'll find her, Max. I know she's out there somewhere," Isabel patted her brother's hand. "Now, let's get to business." 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
Isabel, Alex, Maria, and Michael sat up straight in their chairs, leaning towards the others in order not to be heard. Max stiffened at the look on his friends' faces. "Is there something I should know?" Max threw the question out, looking at each face around the table. Michael spoke up, "I got a call from Katrina, Max." Max made a face. Katrina was another alien friend on Earth. She lived in a town close to Roswell, Carrizozo. Although they didn't know how many, Max, Isabel, and Michael knew there were at least twenty other aliens on Earth. They had been coming every now and then. The people of Antar were curious about humans and some had decided to live here as humans. In order to keep the alien's identities safe, an organization had been set up in a warehouse in Carrizozo, as Roswell would be too suspicious. They called themselves AOE, Antarians on Earth. Not many people knew about the organization, as it was very exclusive and secretive. However the special unit of the FBI was always on the lookout. Messages from Katrina usually meant bad news about AOE or the FBI.  
  
"So what did she say, Michael?" Max whispered.  
  
"Well, she said that the FBI is getting pretty damn close to blowing our cover. Apparently, an Antarian kid told a human the truth but the human was untrustworthy. Told something to the FBI. And although he's just a child, we know the FBI see him as a link to further evidence. If we aren't careful, we could be in for some serious crap."  
  
Although the three aliens were equal friends, Max had always been the leader, the one who stuck out from the group. He usually had the final word in decisions, and so that was why everyone now turned their heads to Max to see what he thought.  
  
Max hesitated, not knowing exactly how much trouble they were in for. This whole situation could possibly turn out fine. But if everyone was discovering that aliens really did exist in Roswell, well then, they were in for a rough ride. "I think we should lay low. Like always, there's no reason to draw attention to ourselves. Let's just keep in touch with Katrina for now and see what happens later on." The rest of the group nodded approvingly as the tension of alien news began to disappear.  
  
The rest of the evening proved light and fun. The group talked lightly and laughed. Isabel unsuccessfully tried to convince Max to date a new friend of hers and Michael talked to Alex about his new computer.  
  
When Max went home that night, he slid into bed exhausted. The second he hit the pillow his eyes dropped and his breath evened out. He began to dream.  
  
  
  
Heat overwhelmed his senses. Deep smoke encircled around him, clouding his eyesight. "Max? Baby, are you there?" A soft voice floated out of nowhere. It was thick and soothing, romantic and desirable. "Liz? Is that you?" The black smoke that had clouded his view was now gone. He sighed at the sight of his beloved, sitting in the sand of a deserted beach. The mist in the air swayed to and fro for Liz's hair to follow. The ocean crashed lightly onto the shore as the sun shone down on Liz and Max. "Max…" Liz sighed his name as he sat down next to her. "I've missed you so much!" Max nodded, looking at the ocean, "It's torture living out these days without you by my side. I wish we could always be together." Liz stroked Max's cheek lightly as she mumbled, "Me too, Max. I wish too." They kissed. Liz's hands came up to Max's head, wrapping her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck. Max's hands wrapped around her waist, pulling Liz closer until she was so close, any closer would be inside him. Mmm, inside him, Liz thought grinning against Max's lips. How she wanted to make love to him! Max, knowing her thoughts, picked Liz up onto his lap until her legs were straddling his. He brought his tongue across her lips, urging them to part. Liz did, and they kissed deeply, oblivious of time or reality. Only slightly aware that it was only a dream and that they would wake up soon, sad that their love had to be lived through dreams.  
  
  
  
*  
  
He shivered. The air was hot and moist all around him, but his body was still overwhelmed with cold fear. His mind raced back and forth with possible escape routs. Nothing seemed possible. He felt a new wave of doom pass over his bound hands and feet. He shivered again. The ropes around his wrists and ankles carved deeper with every movement, every shake of his body. No one seemed to care. Wasn't this the part in movies when the victim was unsuspectedly rescued? The part when the hero rode in on his horse, through the desert sands and into the cave where the victim was being held?  
  
A faint rustling in one of the cave entrances brought the victim back to reality. The rustling was fast growing louder. More noises could be heard: a shuffling of feet, heavy breathing, the shifting of small rocks, and finally the words of his captors.  
  
"Will you just shut up?" One voice snarled, "He knows something. He was best friends with our little Robert. He has to know about them."  
  
"But what if we're wrong," another voice spoke up. It sounded more timid than the first yet none-the-less determined. "We'd be blatantly killing. If someone found out it would be murder. Do you know what would happen if the law got involved with this? Everything would be blown! The FBI can't handle the whole fucking world!"  
  
"Shut up! He might hear us. We have to follow protocol."  
  
The victim boy slumped down onto his back so as not to draw attention. He didn't want them to know he'd heard. Any kind of advantage would be helpful later. He opened his eyes slightly to see two men walking in slightly shabby gray suits. They stopped when they were about too feet from him. One of the men took a lighter from his pocket and palmed it. The other man took out a tape recorder.  
  
The taller man spoke. His voice boomed with authority. "I know you're awake, Josh. The drugs would have worn off by now."  
  
Josh knew it would be no help to pretend he was asleep. Better to act strong, maybe he had an upper hand that he could play. He needed to stall time, to develop a plan, to keep Rob safe at all costs.  
  
"So, Josh. We're going to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," the taller man spoke. "And while we do this, we're going to play a little game. My friend Mr. Bob here, has a lighter." He paused, obviously hoping to see a reaction on Josh's face. No such luck, Josh's face was impassable. The man continued however, "If you lie to us, Mr. Bob will make you boil." As if to prove their point, the smaller man flicked the lighter on and brought it close to Josh's leg. The heat seemed to sizzle in the already hot air.  
  
"Now, let's get started. The first question is easy: Josh do you know someone named Robert Stein?" The men peered at Josh. Josh gritted his teeth, "No."  
  
"No?" The tall man mocked. You don't know your own friend? How sad. I guess we'll have to prove you wrong…Mr. Bob-" He nodded his head to his accomplice.  
  
Josh stared at the floor as the lighter came closer to his paralyzed body. Mr. Bob lowered it to his bare feet and brought the flame against Josh's big toe. The skin sizzled but Josh kept his composure. He had to endure this, he could make it. Josh knew this was part of something bigger. If he had to die in order to save thousands of other people, then her would gladly. 


	5. Chapter Five

Author's Note: Hey, thanks to everyone who reviewed. To bcody1, sorry I didn't email you; I'll be posting a new chapter about every couple days, so if you want you can stay tuned that way!  
  
  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Liz Parker stared blankly across the table at her date, Kyle Valenti. God, she thought, could this man be any more egocentric? All he had talked about all night was football! Then I passed right, left, right, left, we won this, championship that, bla bla bla… Liz had only survived the date this far because she hadn't really been paying attention to Kyle. She was mostly caught up in her own world.  
  
She had been thinking about her dream last night. Liz knew she had a lot of dreams, but she had a hard time remembering them. So many mornings, she would wake up incredibly happy but without a reason as to why. It was so aggravating. She had gone to a therapist before, hoping to find ways of recalling her dreams. However the therapist had only said that some dreams were meant to be remembered, and some weren't. But when Liz had started screaming at him, he had told her that the best way was to try and write down whatever she could remember when she woke up. After months, Liz still had only feelings and cryptic figures stored in her 'dream notebook.' This morning she had written:  
  
April 24:  
  
Happy, content, longing, desire:  
  
I think the same man was there, as in previous dreams.  
  
Also, possibly hot weather?  
  
"Liz! You should have seen that play! It was amazing! Freakin' Amazing!" Kyle slammed his fist onto the restaurant table. The plates shook. Liz decided this was her chance, "Kyle, I'm not feeling very well. I think I'm going to go home, if you don't mind. Thanks for lunch. Bye!" Liz said this all very quickly while putting on her jacket and placing a twenty on the table. And then before Kyle could say 'amazing,' she was out the door and into the rain.  
  
Living in Seattle was full of rain. It washed through the streets and under your umbrellas, always trying to get you soaked. Liz waved frantically for a cab. Almost suddenly, one pulled over. Liz threw open the door and climbed in.  
  
"490 Russell Road, please," Liz told the driver.  
  
When the cab started rolling again the driver spoke up, "Some rain, eh?"  
  
"You could say that again!" Liz grumbled.  
  
The driver chuckled. "Wasn't like this when I live in New Mexico. Never seen so much rain." He looked into the rare-view mirror at his passenger. She looked surprised.  
  
"You lived in New Mexico? So did I!"  
  
"Small world," he answered, amused at her sudden enthusiasm. "I lived in Roswell for a few years, have some family down there. My name's Jackson by the way."  
  
"Me too! Not the name thing, I mean. My name's Liz Parker. I grew up in Roswell with my brothers. Remember all those alien stores and merchandise? Geeze!" Liz giggled, remembering when she worked at the Crashdown Café when she was a teenager.  
  
"Ah, yes. The alien town," Jackson's eyes sparkled. "So, do you believe in aliens, Miss. Parker?"  
  
"Well, not on Earth. I am a scientist, and I personally believe in other life, but in Roswell? No way!" Liz laughed out loud. "If there are any aliens in Roswell, they are definitely my old high school teachers!"  
  
From the driver's seat, Jackson grinned. She was something, he thought. No wonder He loved her- they would be perfect together.  
  
Liz looked out the window as the cab pulled onto her street. Jackson braked and Liz gave him a twenty-dollar bill for a six-dollar fee. She just smiled and waved, walking into her little white house.  
  
In the car, Jackson pocketed the money and left. He drove a few miles and then pulled into an abandoned alley. He got out of the cab and stood beside it. He placed his right hand on the hood of the cab. And then, all of a sudden, the yellow hood became a forest green. The green color flowed across the car like a fresh coat of paint, applied in two seconds flat. When the whole car was a satisfactory green, Jackson got back in and drove away.  
  
*  
  
Max sat on the couch, eating pizza. After a busy day at the hospital, he had needed some relaxation watching TV. The only problem was, every time Max watched TV he always ended up studying the news. It was as if Max felt the unspoken responsibility for his whole alien race's future. Watching the news was a good way to keep up with suspicious headlines.  
  
Today the news reporters were going to about some celebrity sighting. Max relaxed and took a bite of the pepperoni pizza with Tabasco sauce.  
  
A woman reporter spoke, "We have also been asked to report on a very tragic case of kidnap in the Roswell area. Let's go to Sam- Sam?"  
  
"Right here, Winona. Folks, three days ago a young teenage boy was kidnapped off the streets. His name was Joshua Parker and he lived in a small house with his two other brothers, his one sister, and his mother, Nancy Parker-"  
  
Max dropped his pizza into his lap. Nancy Parker was the mother of that boy Charlie. It must be one of Charlie's brothers who was kidnapped, Max thought sadly. Maybe that's why he was running about that day…  
  
"Mrs. Parker told our reporters that her son had been kidnapped on his way to Roswell High School. She also urges people to call this number- 555-479-0327- if anyone knows anything about her son, 16-year-old Joshua Parker." A picture came up on the TV screen of a smiling teenage boy with ruffled brown hair. Max again felt a pang of unexplained feeling, almost, Max though, recognition… 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six  
  
Katrina Cazza paced back and forth across the cold marble floors. Her black boots clanked with every step, her fingers tugging at her short blond hair. She was nervous and anxious, waiting for the phone to ring with a message from Ted. I'm sure everything will be all right, Katrina reasoned. It's not like this kind of thing hasn't happened before.  
  
Working in the AOE-B1, Antarians of Earth Building One, Katrina was always in the thick of things, always part of the alien conflicts that arose. There was always some kind of slight problem, whether it involved a human seeing an alien using his or her powers, or a concern about the FBI. Building One was the main location for alien problems. The two other buildings in the AOE dealt with humans who knew about the aliens, as each human trusted with the secret had to be written down on files. It wasn't like the AOE watched everything the hiks (humans in the know) were doing, it's just that when whole races of beings were at stake, it was important to make sure that one person would blow the whole cover. For the most part though, AOE had found that most humans were very trustworthy. Over two hundred people knew about aliens; they just kept it secret out of respect and consideration. Yet not all humans were this way, the FBI special unit alien hunters definitely did not have 'respect' as a high priority on their To Do list.  
  
"RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!!" Katrina jumped when she heard the phone next to her ring. She picked it up, "Hello? Katrina from B1 here, may I ask who's speaking?"  
  
"Hey, Katrina, it's Ted," the other line answered.  
  
Katrina breathed a sigh of relief. "I've been waiting for your call for ages, Ted. What's the news?"  
  
"Well, it seems like thing are getting pretty hectic." Ted held a spying job for the AOE. He always had direct information about the FBI. "They've definitely taken Joshua Parker. I believe it's two special unit agents that have got him trapped in a desert around Roswell."  
  
"What are they doing to him?" Katrina shook lightly as she thought about the terrible things the FBI would to innocent people. "He's just a little boy!"  
  
"I think they're just questioning him now, but you can bet they will get violent if they're not happy." He paused for a second, and then continued, "They want proof, Kat. They want final evidence to bring to the government. They're tired of all the undercover stuff. They want written confirmation, photographs, video and audio recordings that aliens do exist on Earth. They think that with the whole world behind them, they could finally exterminate us."  
  
There was silence on both lines of a couple seconds, until Katrina spoke, her voice shaking, "Why the innocent ones, though?" Her voice cried out with agony, "Why do they have to capture children? Why the hiks? They're so peaceful and loving!"  
  
"You know the answer to that already, Kat." Ted spoke softly. "Deep down, they're afraid of us, afraid of anything different. Why do you think the FBI's only captured hiks? They're afraid of what us aliens will do to them with our powers. So they go after the innocent humans. The children are easy to break, easy to torture for information." His voice was soft and soothing, as Katrina tried to contain her sobs on the other line.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ted. I've got to keep myself under control. It's just the thought of that kid Josh, what he's going through right now, no child should go through that Ted. No child."  
  
"No being whatsoever should go through that kind of torture, Kat. The best we can do right now is notifying the aliens out of town and enlist the help of anyone willing. Do you think you can do that?"  
  
"Of course, Ted. Since when could you not count on me?"  
  
"Never."  
  
"You just wait, I'll have the most secretive support group out looking for Joshua in record time. We won't let them get anything out of him."  
  
A couple towns away, Ted smiled at his friend's determination. "Great, Kat. You do that."  
  
*  
  
Michael flipped another pancake. The smell of frying butter was everywhere yet Michael couldn't help grinning. His mind kept drifting off into memories from the past couple weeks.  
  
Married life with Maria was definitely cool. They would wake up late in the morning and make each other breakfast. On weekdays they would spend thirty minutes saying goodbye before work. On weekends they would go to the park, or dancing at a club, and sometimes they would just stay home to have sex over and over.  
  
"What are you grinning at, Space Boy?" Michael felt someone kissing the side of his neck from behind. He turned around to face Maria in her silky pajamas, "Oh nothing."  
  
"Nothing?" Maria raised her eyebrows at some of the burnt pancakes. "You haven't been daydreaming about anything in particular?" Her teasing tone spoke loads.  
  
"Well, I was thinking about using some ropes to tie you up later…" Maria hit him on the shoulder, "Michael!"  
  
"Just kidding. I was only thinking about how great married life has been." He put his arms around her.  
  
"Mmmm. It has been pretty awesome, huh?"  
  
"Definitely." Michael took her lips with his, picking her up and onto the counter. Maria's hand touched the frying pancakes, "Owwww!"  
  
"Oh, what's wrong, baby?" Maria showed him her slightly red finger. Michael kissed it lightly, then put it in her mouth and sucked lovingly on it. Maria was just about to lean down to run her other hand through his hair, when the phone rang. "RRRIINNNGGG!"  
  
Michael swore and picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Michael?"  
  
"Ya, hey Maxwell. Do you have to call so early on a Saturday?"  
  
"Michael, it's 10:00 am."  
  
"So?" Michael looked at Maria with an apologetic smile. She just nodded her head and began to set the table. "Okay, whatever. So what's up?"  
  
"Actually, Michael. Not good news. You know what Katrina told you before?"  
  
"Ya…" Maria noticed her husband's slightly worried tone.  
  
"Well, it wasn't entirely true. She got the information wrong. You see, an Antarian boy decided to tell his best friend, Joshua Parker, that he was an alien. Katrina thought Joshua had tipped off the FBI, but actually Josh had done nothing wrong. The FBI, apparently, was just keeping close tabs and had noticed that Josh was in the know. So they kidnapped him- "  
  
"Wait, Maxwell. Katrina just told you all this?"  
  
"Yes. But I'll get to that part later."  
  
"Okay but why did the FBI go after this Joshua when there are tons of other hiks?" Michael asked.  
  
"I don't know. But the point is, they did. And now Katrina and the AOE want to get some people together to look for him. I want to help."  
  
"Why Maxwell? I thought your motto was: Don't get involved at all costs."  
  
"It was. But I feel drawn to Joshua and his family somehow. I helped his brother Charlie a couple days ago. I've met their mother and seen her on TV. I feel like I need to, almost have to, get involved this time. It's like intuition or something."  
  
"So you want me to help too." Michael stated blandly.  
  
"Well, only if you're not busy or anything."  
  
"I trust you, man. So, when are we starting this search party thing?"  
  
"In a couple hours, about three pm. Thanks Michael."  
  
"No problem. I'll see you at your house in a couple." Michael hung up and turned to Maria who had been listening by the table. Before Michael could apologize for leaving, Maria had placed her finger on his lips, "I know, Michael. You're a busy man. I can't keep you all to myself."  
  
"Well we do have s few hours…" Michael raised his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
"I see. And what did you have in mind?" Maria started backing up into the bedroom. Michael just grinned, "You know we too well." 


	7. Chapter Seven

Author's Note: Hey, guys thanks for reviewing again. I've written a couple chapters ahead and I promise Max and Liz will meet! You've just gotta be patient… (  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Liz flopped down onto her bed. She let her hair sprawl out around her face and her arms swoop around a pillow for comfort. She felt anxious about something, yet what it was she wasn't sure. All of a sudden it came to her:  
  
Call your mother!  
  
That's what she needed to do. Perhaps Josh had been found… Well the answer was just a call away.  
  
Liz violently grabbed across the bed for the portable phone. She dialed the number.  
  
"Hello." A pained voice on the other end of the phone answered.  
  
"Mom?" Liz hated the sound of her mother's voice now. All children liked to take comfort in the stability of their parents. Before, her mother had always had a confident air to her; she was always good with people. Now, Mrs. Parker's voice sound incredibly strained and upset. Like the voice of someone who had just watched a love one die, Liz thought in panic.  
  
"Lizzy? My baby girl, is that you?"  
  
"Yes, Mom. Please tell me! Is it bad? Is Joshua hurt?" Liz yelped into her phone, sitting upright on the bed.  
  
"I don't know!" Mrs. Parker wailed loudly. "I don't know what's happening to my little boy! I don't know where he is, or who he's with, or what he's doing! I don't know anything anymore!"  
  
Liz, relieved that Josh hadn't died or anything, tried to comfort her mother. "Mom, there is no way you can make it through this alone. I won't leave you and the boys so vulnerable when we don't know what's happening to Josh."  
  
"What are you saying, Sweetie?" Her voice had clamed down to a faint whisper.  
  
"I'm coming down to Roswell, Mom. I'll find out about Josh and we'll get through this together. Everything's going to be okay." Liz thought she sounded more confident than she felt.  
  
"Oh, honey. I love you so much!" The sobbing started again.  
  
"I love you too, Mom. Just keep it together until tomorrow morning. Okay? I'll get a late flight over tonight. Tell the boys I'm coming."  
  
"Okay, baby. I'll see you soon." And it was a sobbing voice that a few seconds later, hung up the phone.  
  
How did I just decide to do that? Liz thought in panic. Now I have to get a plane ticket and organize everything… Liz sighed out loud, well the important thing is that I'm with Mom and the boys; I should be comforting my family. I love Joshua too. And then Liz thought with a small smile on her face, Roswell here I come, whether you're ready or not.  
  
*  
  
He felt like air. He felt weightless, like he was swimming under water. The whole world was under water. He could swim through the skies and dive into canyons, lightly skimming the flowers that grew at the bottom. And he could fit through the smallest cracks in the caves; he could find anything, see everything. But he didn't have eyes, at least not physical ones right now. He could only sense things, experience them without knowing how. It was like he was a spirit, something without a body. But he did have a body; it was down on the ground slumped against a cave wall, the arms twisted strangely and the clothes ripped off his legs.  
  
Diving closer to his body, Josh could see the flaps of burnt skin all over his legs. They looked like mutilated branches, unusable and hardened. His feet were burnt too, each toe curved inward slightly. If he ever got back to his body, Josh thought, he wouldn't be able to walk for a long time.  
  
And then all of a sudden, Josh was moving, flying towards the head on his own body. With each foot closer, his sprit form seemed to contract and get smaller, until he could fit easily inside his own mouth. And that's just what he did, his spirit flew into his mouth and then- WHAM –Josh was back inside his physical body. And he could feel the aches again, the terrible throbbing in his legs and feet. And he could feel the insanely calm paranoia that lived in his brain, eating away at his insides, just waiting for the men to come back.  
  
*  
  
Max pulled his jeep into the back parking lot of the AOE-B1 and backed up into a vacant parking space. He turned the car off and opened the door. His stepped out of the Jeep, his face impassive, and his leather jacket blowing in the wind.  
  
Michael too got out of the car, he couldn't help chuckling inwardly at the insane James Bond resemblance his friend had. Max was a man on a mission.  
  
Max didn't even tell Michael to 'come on', or 'hurry up', he just strode out of the parking lot and into the back entrance of the AOE-B1, knowing Michael was following him.  
  
About three doors later, Max came upon a wall with no apparent door, a dead end. He didn't hesitate, just placed his hand on a small brown panel. The panel glowed silver with Max's handprint, and then made a small click sound. Max then walked straight through the wall, ending up on the other side. Michael too, followed the same procedure as Max, letting the wall swallow him like Jell-O.  
  
Inside, Max and Michael went through a couple of Precaution Doors, in which they had to speak a password, have their eyes scanned, and spit into a cup that was taken into the wall to check Alien Positive. Ten minutes later, the two guys were in, making their way expertly to Katrina's office on the third floor.  
  
Max knocked when they reached a gray door, and a woman's voice answered, "Who's there?"  
  
"Max Evans and Michael Guerin."  
  
The door opened, "Ah, hey guys." Katrina waved them in to her office. "Take a seat." Max and Michael sat down among two other guys and one girl.  
  
Katrina sat down next to them all, "Max, Michael, these are the other volunteers for our search." She pointed to a tall man who looked to be in his thirties. He had warm eyes and crooked nose. "This is Pete Hashoff. He's an Antarian. Came over about ten years ago on the Yartzob Ship." Pete nodded politely to Max and Michael. "This is David Stein." She pointed to the other guy, who looked about 19 or 20. He had crazy blond hair and serious blue eyes. "David works at the AOE-B2 and is brothers with Robert Stein, the boy who told Joshua about his alien side. Rob wanted to help find his friend but he was too young, so David volunteered to stand in for Rob.  
  
"And this is Max Evans and Michael Guerin. Both of them are of friends of mine. I keep them updated on the happenings of AOE because these two and their posse like to lay low mostly." The group grinned. "Max and Michael wanted to be a part of this because Max had become friends with the Parker family. Michael is just in for the ride, isn't that so?" She smiled at Michael and he nodded, grinning himself. "Both Max and Michael were born here after their parents died in the 1947 crash."  
  
"Ohh, first shippers." Pete nodded respectfully, referring to the fact that the 1947 ship was the first ever to make a trip to Earth.  
  
"And this," Katrina pointed, "is our reference human. This is Natasha or just Nat, Summers. She found out about AOE when she fell in love with Harrison Summers. She's been very loyal since his tragic death, dedicating her life to keeping Antarians safe." Everyone nodded respectfully to the petite blond woman. She looked in her mid or late twenties.  
  
"Okay guys and girl, now that we have done the introductions, let's get onto the plan. Which is…we don't have one yet."  
  
Michael snorted yet Katrina continued, "Your job is to try and save, help and find Joshua Parker. He's an innocent and right now in the hands of some FBI agents, we think. They could be anywhere, yet we suspect he's in Roswell, close to all the alien commotion.  
  
"Joshua's family has lived in Roswell all their lives. They have a daughter living in Washington, and two other sons here. Mrs. Parker has been notified that there is a search party of highly trained professionals looking for her son. However, Josh was the only Parker who knew about aliens, so we must keep our identities secret from them. Does everyone understand?" There was a circle of nods around the office. Katrina looked pleased, "Any last questions?"  
  
"One," said David. "Do you mean to say that we don't have any clues whatsoever to Joshua's whereabout? Not even a landmark or description?"  
  
Katrina looked somber again, "That's right. None. We haven't been contacted by any other Antarians and no pedestrian has reported anything about seeing Josh." She paused. " You will all start early tomorrow morning. All I can say is, good luck." 


	8. Chapter Eight

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, sorry it's so short! Thanks for all the great reviews. Max and Liz will meet sometime soon, I promise!  
  
  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
"Life vests can be located under or to the side of your seats. To inflate one, pull on the orange tab or blow through the tube with your mouth…"  
  
Liz slumped into her seat. God, she hated airplanes. They were so cramped. Especially at 4 am in the morning. Just four hours until she's be at Roswell, four hours to sleep. Liz felt her eyelids drooping as the plane took off.  
  
  
  
*Something was tickling her sides. Liz tilted her face down to see who was teasing her, yet there was no one there. Only a trail of black smoke. The smoke floated lightly upward until it was level with her eyes, then the smoke began to form into a hand. The hand formed into a light first as the index finger curved into a 'come here' position. The hand then started to move backwards, indicating with the finger.  
  
Liz ran after the smoke hand, her hair blowing behind her through the dark mist. Then the environment around her changed abruptly. The mists cleared to show an open field with small yellow daisies on the ground and an open, blue sky above her. Liz continued to run. Her body felt free as the crisp air cut against her face. She jumped as she ran, leaping to an inaudible music.  
  
Then it started to rain. The fields became wet with tiny raindrops. Liz's hair was drenched with the sweet smell of water. Under her bare feet, the daisies sparkled with dewdrops. And she continued to follow the smoky hand.  
  
As Liz ran she felt her worries fall behind her. Her happiness and joy shone through her skin illuminating her toes and fingertips, and all the skin in between. Small bird chirped above her. They seemed to be speaking to Liz. Liz almost thought they were saying: Run, run, to your destiny. Run to him. So Liz ran, and she ran, and her legs never grew tired.  
  
Up ahead, Liz saw the field ended. Taking the place of further fields was a beautiful clear, blue ocean. Liz ran harder as the smoky hand disappeared into the water's waves. Liz dived into the ocean too. Her arms and legs pushed against the clear current as she swam after the hand. She swam for minutes, maybe hours; Liz had no sense of time.  
  
For the first time in a while, Liz started to worry. She hadn't seen any fish or other life in the waters. Her pace began to slow, her arms and legs grew tired and heavy like an incredible weight was pulling her into the suffocating depths of the ocean. Liz struggled to keep her head above the water, taking in each breath sharply.  
  
And then a quickly as she had ran, the ocean disappeared and Liz found herself collapsed on a desert ground. The sand felt like a blanket of feathers, drawing her into rest. Yet just as she was about to put her head down, she felt Him. His sent was everywhere, engulfing her senses. The sent was so strong, so comforting and supporting, that Liz found herself floating upward and into someone's arms.  
  
A man caught her. His strong arms pulling her body close to his in an unmistakable hug. She knew she was smiling, like she never had before. And she knew he was smiling. How did she know that- she hadn't seen his face yet? But she knew other things too. She could feel his thoughts, his happiness at seeing her, his overwhelming love for her, his desire and need for her. And then she knew so much. She knew that this man's name was Max Evans. That he was 26 years old. That he was different... That he was nice to all people, that he loved his sister Isabel immensely, and that he was best friends with Michael Guerin, Alex Whitman, and Maria Guerin. She knew his loneliness and his faith in people. His independence and determination.  
  
It was like she had just put the last pieces together in the puzzle, and now everything fit, it all made sense. She had been running to this man. She loved this man.  
  
And then everything stopped. And Liz found herself on the outside of the scene, looking in. She saw herself frozen in a position of hugging Max tightly, afraid to let go. And then Liz knew that this was a dream. She knew that this was the man who had been in all of her dream for nine years. She knew that he was the one who had caused all those feelings in her, the ones she had written down in her Dream Book. Now the question was, now that she knew this was a dream, when she woke up- would she remember all this? Liz shuddered. If she had to forget all this happiness, she would be so unfulfilled. Why would anyone want to live in sadness when they had the possibility of happiness?*  
  
  
  
Liz awoke with a start. The plane shook as it landed on the ground. "Welcome to Roswell, New Mexico," the loud speaker on the plane spoke. "It's 8:15 am. I hope you enjoyed your flight with Continental." Liz sighed. Had she been asleep for all hours of the plane ride?  
  
Wait a second, yes she had. And she'd had the most amazing dream. She'd been running and swimming, and running until she'd finally found Max. WAIT A SECOND!!! Did she just say Max??? Liz answered herself, Yes: Max Evans. 26. Male. Amazingly hot. Has comforting arms. Has lived in my dreams for nine years.  
  
"Hello, Miss?" A stewardess was looking concerned. Liz was the last passenger on the plane.  
  
Liz looked up with the biggest smile on her face. The stewardess couldn't help smiling back. It was contagious. Liz reached her arms up and gave the startled woman a big hug.  
  
Liz jumped up and down, "I can remember! I remember! I remember! I remember!" And then Liz grabbed her carry on and hopped out of the plane. The stewardess just starred at her. They really should stop serving alcohol on planes. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine  
  
A homeless man was sleeping against an ally wall. His eyes were closed in dreams of luxury and forever relaxation.  
  
On the other side of the man's eyelids, about eight feet from him, the air had started to shimmer. To any normal civilian, the air might have resembled the moisture evident on a hot day. But to an FBI special unit alien hunter, the air would have been evidence of an easy catch, because this was the sign of an alien transporting himself from one place to the next.  
  
And then out of the shimmering air, a man appeared. He was dressed smartly, with round eyes and a happy face. His grin filled the street. But no one would see it, as the homeless man was still asleep.  
  
*  
  
Max looked out the window of a car. He felt strange, his stomach was doing flip-flops, but he knew it wasn't because of the search mission. It was something else, something important and significant had just happened. He grinned thinking that he was an alien beacon for strange events.  
  
"Whatcha smiling at Maxwell?" Michael asked from the seat next to Max. Max shrugged his shoulders, "I feel like…something big has happened. That I…need to go somewhere, now."  
  
"Why?" Michael asked, ignoring the curious looks for the David, Nat, and Pete.  
  
"I don't know. But it affects me somehow."  
  
"Sounds specific." Michael added wryly.  
  
"I'm serious, Michael." Michael just shook his head. Sometimes Max could be so weird.  
  
Max continued to look out the window. A man in a black suit caught his eye. The man stood out of the crowd of the people on the sidewalk. While everyone else was walking, this man was just standing there, looking at him. Max couldn't be sure from all the way in the car, but the man's expression seemed to be almost, amused. And then before Max could make any more conclusions, the car had passed and the man was out of sight.  
  
*  
  
Liz stepped out onto New Mexico ground. How good it was to be truly home again! Even though Washington was great, Liz had missed her childhood town. And especially now, Roswell had seemed to be calling to her. And now that she was here, her soul felt almost at rest, like her task was completed. Almost. Although it was fainter, she still felt that tingly need to do something, or talk to someone. But what would she say? Walk up to a complete stranger and say, "So, I feel weird, got any theories on that?" Nope, that won't work.  
  
Liz walked around the airport mindlessly, gathering her bags from the baggage claim as she continued to sift through her feelings.  
  
And what about the dreams? Now that she could finally remember everything about Max, what did it all mean? Was Max actually real and her brain was sending her some kind of signals? Or was Max just an elaborate part of her imagination that she had just happened to remember on the plane. No, Liz's conscience told her, something about that plane ride had caused her remembrance of that dream. She just knew it.  
  
After gathering all of her bags and calling for a taxi, Liz headed out of the airport. The air was cool and fresh, the perfect start to a new morning. Liz looked out at the crowds of people walking on the sidewalks into the airport. Kids were riding their bikes and adults were working.  
  
As the taxi pulled next to Liz, she noticed a sharply dressed man in a suit. Yet he seemed familiar. Where had she seen him before? And just then the man Liz was looking at turned straight towards her and grinned. Wait! -she knew that smile, but where from?  
  
"Are you getting in or what, miss?" The taxi driver yelled at Liz from the front seat as Liz stood on the sidewalk still.  
  
Liz turned towards him, startled. "Uh yes, of course." Liz shrugged off the déjà vu feeling and climbed into the taxi.  
  
And just as the yellow car had started to turn the corner, her brain clicked. She knew where she had seen that man before! How strange…  
  
*  
  
Max got out of the red station wagon behind Michael. They had parked in the desert a few miles from the center of Roswell.  
  
When the whole 'Max starring out of the window lost in his whole world' thing had died down, the group had come up with a loose plan. The plan called for starting closer to the town and then searching outward into the more deserted desert. They were going to break into teams, Nat, Dave, and Pete were going to go one way while Max and Michael were going to look elsewhere. This way they could cover more ground. In a couple hours the group would meet back at the car and then discuss further tactics.  
  
"Alright guys, let's get going." Nat nodded at all of the others and then each group headed out on their own.  
  
After about ten minutes of walking in silence with Max, Michael decided to question his friend further.  
  
"I was just thinking, Maxwell. Do you think these, um, 'feelings' that you've been having might be related to Joshua?"  
  
Max slowed down his power walk into a slower stride. "Well, I thought about that and I don't think so. I'm pretty sure this is something else. It might be related somehow though. I really don't know." Max sighed.  
  
"Do you still feel it now?"  
  
"It's getting fainter."  
  
Michael decided to pay the psychiatrist. Damn, where was his couch? "So tell me then Maxwell, in your best words, what exactly these, ahem, 'feelings' entail."  
  
Max was about to speak, when Michael cut him off in a pompous tone, "Because it's perfectly normal for boys your age to feel this way. In my book, Your 'Energy Source' and You, you'll notice that it's perfectly okay for you to be unable to-"  
  
"Okay, Michael. Stop right there! I am NOT going through some kind of 12 year old puberty." Max chuckled and then paused, "God, you are so messed up, man."  
  
"I know." Michael nodded knowledgably. "But Maria still married me."  
  
"Ya, what drug was she taking?"  
  
"Hey, hey, hey. Stop right there, Maxwell. Maria and I are still in the early stages of our marriage. Don't get me all freaked out now."  
  
Max grinned, laughing. Michael joined in too. Michael slapped his friend on the back lightly and they continued like this for a couple more minutes, their laughter fading slightly with each step.  
  
"Do you think we should start getting serious, Michael? Because I definitely want this whole thing to end; Joshua's just an innocent kid." Max turned to Michael.  
  
Michael stopped walking too. "I know, man. So what do you think we should do first?"  
  
Max looked thoughtful for a minute. He didn't have an alien powers to help this situation. "Could we look for footprints, or the tire marks of a car?" Max asked, unsure.  
  
"Well we could, but that's just the same as trying to find Joshua himself. There might not be marks for miles and miles."  
  
"That's true. Geeze, I don't know what- wait a moment…" Max's voice faded off. Michael raised his eyebrows. Max had closed his eyes like he was trying to see if there was going to be an earthquake, or something. "What is it, man?"  
  
Max opened his eyes. "I felt something. That feeling again." Max paused and turned around. "I think we should go that way." Max pointed to his left.  
  
"How do you know?" Michael asked skeptically.  
  
"I don't know; I just have a feeling. Let's just try it."  
  
"Okay, Maxwell. Cause it's not like we have any other leads. We'll just have to rely on your inner conscience." Michael looked up at the sky, his eyes twinkling, "God help us."  
  
*  
  
Liz's cab made a sharp turn as they headed towards the left side of town. She starred out the window, recreating favorite childhood events with her mind's eye.  
  
She thought of the time she had skimmed her knee on the sidewalk after falling off her bike while trying to learn how to ride. She had only been six years old, but she had gotten right back on that bicycle. The next day she could ride like a pro.  
  
Her mind shifted to the first day of Cadbury Elementary, the private school she had attended as a child. The kids had been friendly and Liz had fit right in.  
  
She had excelled in school. Liz's mother had always been so proud of her academic achievements. Liz had won first place at the Science Fair three years in a row. Liz was responsible and caring. She helped her mother cook dinner. She babysat her baby brothers. Yet she had always wanted to have an adventure, something exciting. Reading adventure books had always made her long for something to happen to her.  
  
Moving out to Washington had been a small step into the world of adventure. She was living on her own, supporting herself. But she never really felt that adventure she had been hoping for.  
  
And then Joshua had been kidnapped. And Liz had felt terrible. She had always wished for something dangerous and exciting to happen, and now it had. But she had never wanted this! She didn't want her little brother to be hurt. She felt responsible for the past events, like the childhood moral: Be careful what you wish for.  
  
She had to fix things, help her mother through this tough time. She wanted to be the one that found Joshua and put his kidnappers in jail. If she had created the conflict, shouldn't she fix it? Liz thought. She would have to get involved, figure things out for herself. Joshua was in danger.  
  
Jolting Liz out of her thoughts, the car made a violent turn to the right. It rounded the corner and continued right. Liz shook in her seat. No tip for this driver, she thought, he's a maniac! Well, she was almost home anyway.  
  
*  
  
"Max we've been walking this way for like ten minutes and we haven't found anything! Do you have even the slightest idea what you're doing?" Michael complained.  
  
Max looked rapt with attention, staring intently right in front of him. "Wait, the feeling's changing. We have to go right now. Wait… ya, right."  
  
"But we've been walking left!"  
  
"And now we have to walk right." Max waived his hand impatiently. "Come on Michael. This is our only clue. Something's calling to me."  
  
"How do you know it's Josh?"  
  
"I don't." Max stated blandly. He began to jog to his right.  
  
"So you could be like mistaking this 'feeling' for hunger or something…Maxwell! Slow down!" Max had broke into a run, as Michael was struggling to keep up behind him.  
  
"Come on, Michael," Max yelled, not looking back. "We're getting closer!"  
  
*  
  
As the taxi stopped, Liz got out and took a long look at her old home. It was a cute, cozy house with an inviting air about it.  
  
"That will be $6. 50, Miss." The cab driver pocked his head out of the window.  
  
"Oh, yes. Here it is." Liz fished in her pocket book for the cash and then handed it to him. Liz was just about to say thanks, when the cab drove off. Could he be any friendlier? Liz thought sarcastically.  
  
Turning back to her house, she walked up the familiar walkway and knocked on the door lightly.  
  
She heard shuffling from within and then heard the door open. "Lizzy! You're home!" A boy in slippers threw himself at his sister.  
  
"Charlie! Hey! How are you? You look so big! How's it going at home?" Liz stepped back to look at her little brother.  
  
"Not so good. Mom's really scared for Josh. I'm so glad your home. We missed you so much."  
  
"I missed you too, pal. Let's go inside. We can talk in there." Charlie nodded smiling, and led his sister in. He closed the door behind him and yelled from the hallway, "LIZZY'S HOME EVERBODY!"  
  
A woman in pajamas with a cup of tea and a small boy in batman boxers came trampling through the house. Liz was covered in hugs and shouts of 'Wow, you came so early' and 'We missed you!' Liz grinned and answered all their questions about home and work.  
  
*  
  
"Okay, Michael. The feeling is stronger now. We're close. And it's pretty constant. I think Josh stopped moving around. He must have sat down to rest or something."  
  
"Do you know if the agents are with him?"  
  
"No, I can't tell. Just follow me. We're almost there."  
  
Michael nodded and scanned the horizons for any signs of Joshua. None.  
  
Max and Michael continued to walk for a little while. Max seemed to know where he was going so Michael just followed him.  
  
Then Michael heard Max stop dead a few feet ahead of him. Michael had been looking at the ground for footsteps, but now he look up at his friend. They were standing on the edge of town. Twenty feet from them was a gas station and a supermarket right next to it.  
  
"Sorry, man." Michael rested his hand on his friend's shoulder.  
  
"Look he's in there somewhere! The feeling's still strong. He must be in town." Max spoke quickly. He sounded a bit desperate.  
  
Michael shook his head sadly, "Max, you must have misunderstood this 'feeling.' The agents aren't going to keep Joshua in Roswell. Maybe you just took a wrong turn."  
  
"I didn't!" Max yelped, and then spoke more softly, "Michael, I know that it's coming from in Roswell. He's must not be in the desert!"  
  
"Max, you're not thinking straight." Michael patted his shoulder as if comforting a child, "Why would an agent keep a child in the middle or town where everyone would recognize him? It doesn't make sense."  
  
After a few seconds, Max took a deep breath. "I guess you're right. It just feels so strong. I was really positive he was in there."  
  
"I know, man. Let's just go back to the car. We can wait for the others there." Max nodded and the two took off in the opposite direction, back to the car. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten  
  
After about an hour, Dave, Pete, and Natasha met Michael and Max back at the car. Walking back, Max and Michael had been silent. Both had been engrossed in their own thoughts, trying to rationalize the fact that they had still no lead in finding Joshua. Michael only hoped that the others had found something.  
  
"Did you guys find anything?" Dave was the first to ask.  
  
"No." Max's voice sounded strangled. With good reason, Michael thought, the man obviously had something weird going to inside him.  
  
"How about you?" Michael added. He sounded overly hopeful.  
  
"Nothing either. We tried searching the caves but we didn't find anything. He could he anywhere." Dave supplied.  
  
"We should try tomorrow." Natasha added. "The more we look the closer we get to finding anything."  
  
The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement. "Since we're all wiped out now, let's stop searching today and head off to do other things." Pete suggested.  
  
Quite agreement could be seen. Everyone got back into the station wagon and drove off. The ride was silent, most people caught in their own thoughts and plans.  
  
*  
  
Liz closed the front door behind her. She turned to face the street. This morning she had needed a walk to clear her mind and relive the events of last night.  
  
Last night as she had laid her head on the pillow, Liz had closed her eyes and dreamt. There was no fog or smoke this time. No confusion. Everything was clear; Liz could see everything. She could see Max's deep brown eyes and his strong shoulders. She could see his serious expression form into an open grin when he saw her. He had been waiting there for her. Max's smile was contagious, if filled her subconscious with happiness beyond words. Liz just smiled back and had run into her Max's arms.  
  
He caught her in the air, pulling her into his chest. Liz lay her head on his shoulder; Max laid his head on hers. Their breathy sighs seemed to fill the "room" as Max held Liz tight.  
  
Then Liz giggled. "Max, I remember." He turned his face towards hers. "I knew you would, Liz." Then he twirled her around, spinning, as Liz laughed in his arms.  
  
"Let's go somewhere." Max whispered to his love.  
  
"Okay." She spoke with total trust.  
  
Max and Liz had spent the rest of the dream night swimming in the ocean on a hot summer day, riding the roller coasters at amusement parks, taking a boat ride through the river, eating at fancy restaurants and town pizzerias, dancing at clubs, and much more. Whenever they were done Max would snap his fingers and the couple would be somewhere new. They experienced everything together that night. They held hands and shared soft kisses; they used every moment to the last drop.  
  
Liz sighed loudly, walking along the sidewalk in Roswell. Who wanted to live through the days if you had the most amazing nights? She groaned.  
  
Liz bumped into a woman passing on the streets. Both women were startled and fell down as neither of them had been paying any attention to their outside surroundings. Gathering herself on the pavement, Liz looked at the woman she had bumped into. She had short blond hair and amazing boots. "I love your boots."  
  
The woman looked startled, and then pleased. She gave a gracious smile and stood up, "Thank you. I'm sorry about that crash. I wasn't really looking ahead."  
  
Liz stood up too. "Me neither. My name's Liz Parker, by the way."  
  
"I'm Katrina Cazza. Nice to meet you." Katrina shook Liz's outstretched hand. Katrina had a strange look on her face. "I know it's not really in my place to ask, but I will anyway, do you happen to be related to Joshua Parker?"  
  
Liz nodded somberly. "He's my little brother."  
  
Katrina didn't really know what to say. "I'm so sorry." She said lamely.  
  
"It's okay. Joshua's out there somewhere and I'm going to find him. I love him so much." Katrina nodded and Liz asked curiously, "Why? Do you know anything about where he is?" Katrina hesitated slightly and Liz noticed the woman pause.  
  
"Would you like to have a coffee with me? We could talk a bit." Liz nodded apprehensively. Did this mean Katrina knew something about Joshua? What if she's with the kidnappers? Maybe she knew what had happened to Josh. Could she know something Liz didn't? Liz knew she owed it to Josh to find out.  
  
At a nearby café, Liz and Katrina took a seat by the window at a small table. Liz looked at the woman sitting across from her and just waited.  
  
Katrina knew Liz was waiting for her to explain further. But she couldn't just say that she was part of an alien search party. Liz probably wanted to know everything, and Katrina couldn't tell her all that. Especially if she found out that aliens were involved in her brother's kidnapping. Liz might jump to all these awful conclusions. Kat knew she couldn't just tell her right now. She would have to give the bare minimum of the truth, just supply what Liz needed to know.  
  
"When we saw the news, a couple friends and I decided we would try and look for Joshua. You know, he's just a boy and so innocent. Kidnaps are so terrible and we just wanted to help. So we've been looking out in the desert for him. Just a casual search, nothing sponsored or anything…No need to worry…"  
  
Liz starred across the table at this woman. This was her ticket! She could join this group and look for Joshua! This is how she'd get involved!  
  
"Cause you know the police weren't searching..."Katrina babbled on.  
  
"Wait a second. Why aren't the police looking for Josh?" Liz asked, angry and surprised.  
  
"Um," Katrina looked nervous, "Because they got some kind of call from some other department saying not to search for Josh. I just know cause I called them to find out." This was half true. Katrina's friend Ted had clued her in that the FBI had sent a call to the police ordering them not to look for Josh.  
  
"I believe you. The government can be very corrupt. Presidential scandals, under the counter business and that sort... That's why I want to join your search party." Katrina opened her mouth in a large gape. She hadn't thought things would get this far.  
  
Liz continued, "I want to be out there, searching for Josh. And what you've just told me changes everything. Especially now I can't just sit at home waiting for news from the police that we know will never come. I have to take matters into my own hands." Katrina was silent, her eyes wide. Liz got the impression that she was doing some quick thinking.  
  
"Um, right, I, um, understand. Of course you can join us. You are kin after all. Um, just let me get your phone number and then I can call you with information." Why, oh, why did I just say that?? Katrina thought. Now we have to go seriously undercover! How will we not let Liz know that she's working with aliens?! Something clicked slightly in Katrina's head. She felt, she realized, almost drawn into helping Liz Parker. She felt like she had to say yes. How strange…  
  
Liz smiled, "Thanks so much, Katrina. Oh, can I call you that?"  
  
"Oh, uh, yes of course." Katrina stuttered slightly, standing to shake Liz's hand. "You okay?" Liz asked. "Ya, I'll give you a call, Miss Parker, or Mrs. Parker?"  
  
"Just Liz, you call me Liz. Here's my number." Liz gave Katrina an old business card and Katrina pocketed it.  
  
"Well, thanks, see you soon." Liz waved outside the café. Katrina just nodded and walked off, her brain going miles a minute. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven  
  
Back at the AOE-B1, Katrina was visiting her boss, Jacob Starling. She was nervous. Katrina wasn't sure if she would be able to convince Mr. Starling that Liz should be involved in the search. Humans who weren't hiks had never been allowed into the AOE before.  
  
"Katrina? You may come in now." She heard the call from inside the door. Although Mr. Starling held a very respected position and his voice was firm and final, Katrina still knew he had a soft heart. She knew that Liz definitely had a chance here, however small that was.  
  
Katrina stepped into the small office and sat down on the other side of Mr. Starling's desk. She fiddled in her seat, tapping the armchair with her fingers and looking at her feet.  
  
"Miss Cazza? Was there something you wanted to discuss with me?" The voice was deep and soft.  
  
"Uh, yes, Mr. Starling." And then Katrina broke into the whole story of Joshua, the search party, and Liz Parker. Mr. Starling listened intently the whole time though his expression gave none of his emotions away.  
  
"So you see, Mr. Starling. I'm in kind of a predicament. I feel that we should include Miss Parker in the search for her little brother, but she doesn't know about us."  
  
After a couple seconds of thoughtful silence, Mr. Starling spoke and surprised her, "That is a slight problem and I agree that we shouldn't tell her about us, at least not just yet. However I also think that she should be involved. Who are we to let her down? After all, her intentions are practically the same as ours. We all want Joshua safe. I think it's important to keep the Parkers involved. I'm glad you brought this to my attention Miss Cazza. Um…" He drummed his fingers lightly on the desk. "Okay, it seems like we should follow the story you told Liz Parker. Don't let her into the AOE and don't use your powers around her. Let's not try and make her suspicious. Also, you have to notify the other search participants and come up with some easy alibis. Do you think this will work?"  
  
Katrina smiled gratefully. "Yes, thank you. Thanks for hearing my out, Mr. Starling. We'll get Joshua back safe and sound."  
  
"You work at it, Miss Cazza. And good luck to all of you."  
  
*  
  
Max stripped of his clothes and jumped into the shower. The hot water felt relaxing on Max's stressed back as he closed his eyes in contentment. The water came down hard and Max reveled in the feel of the water massage. He stood there for a few minutes, just letting his anxieties drip into the drain along with the water. The sun shone in from a high window and Max could feel the sun's rays although his eyelids were still closed. He washed his hair and soaped his body. Then he sat down on the white tiles and let the water hit his hair and wash off like rainfall. He let himself travel back to his dreams, and fill his mind with images of Liz. Her beautiful hair blowing through the wind and her brown eyes looking deeply into his with understanding. Out of everyone in the world, Max knew that this beautiful woman knew him best, she understood the loneliness in his life, and she healed it with her own company. Ironic that she had to be imaginary, Max thought bitterly. Ironic and cruel. How come he had to walk through life alone while all his friends had found true love? Michael and Maria, Isabel and Alex, they had all found their soul mates, their destiny, so why couldn't he? It was so unfair.  
  
Realizing that the water was no longer relaxing him, Max turned off the shower and dried himself off. When he was walking out of the bathroom, Max caught an image of himself in the mirror. His eyes looked tired and his hair was crazy. He lifted the corners of his mouth into a fake smile. Pitiful, that wouldn't convince anyone, Max thought. Yet it had, because he had worn that smile sometimes on dates that Isabel had set up and when passing happy couples on the street. If only someone could bring out his true smile, he knew it was in there somewhere; he had worn it in dreams…  
  
Max clothed and grabbed a quick breakfast in the kitchen. Then he grabbed his bag and headed out for work. He didn't see the flashing light on his message machine. He didn't hear the message that someone new was joining the search party later that afternoon.  
  
*  
  
Liz grabbed her jacket and yelled 'goodbye' to her mother. She walked out of the house and started up the engine to her car. She drove it to the beginning of the desert and got out to wait.  
  
This was where Katrina Cazza had told her to meet the rest of the search party this afternoon. Katrina had told her that they would be searching by foot around the area and in the caves, as the group had been doing before.  
  
Liz's fingers tapped the hood of her car. Her feet rapped against the desert ground to an inconstant rhythm; her eyes traveled over the area nervously. She could feel it.  
  
Something was going to happen.  
  
She felt her thighs tremble and her arms quiver. She knew something or someone was getting closer. She nervously touched her hair. These anxious movements increased and Liz's body seemed to be going through some kind of panic attack. And then as quickly as it had come, the movements were gone. Liz's body was free and she felt a huge spirit inside of her relax. She felt almost… completed.  
  
Someone was coming toward her. Her eyes focused on the figure as he materialized into her view.  
  
He was fifty feet from her. The figure was a man. He had brown hair.  
  
Forty feet from her. He was wearing a black leather jacket and khaki pants.  
  
Thirty feet from her. He had broad shoulders and a soft face. His body had the look of someone who had strong muscles yet kept them pretty hidden.  
  
Twenty feet. He had a look of amazement on his face; his eyes were wide.  
  
Ten feet. He kept pinching himself on the arm. His feet walked slowly up to her and Liz gasped.  
  
Two feet. He stopped pinching himself. His mouth gaped slightly.  
  
No one spoke a word. Complete silence.  
  
The two figures seemed to stand there for eternity, just starring at each other.  
  
"You're in my dreams." It was Liz who had spoken. Her words echoed throughout the open desert.  
  
No one had moved, and yet there they were, kissing like they had just invented it. His arms were roaming all around her waist, rubbing her back quickly and then moving to caress something else. Her hands were encircled around his neck, her fingers getting caught in his hair and then pulling out to rub against the back of his neck. Their lips and tongues were moving frantically trying to eat each other up whole. Their faces smashed together and Liz by accidentally bit Max's lip. It started to bleed but the two made no move to stop.  
  
Yet neither of them noticed what they were doing physically as they were too busy mentally. Cookie-cutter images were flashing behind their closed eyelids. Flashes ran through Liz's mind:  
  
FLASH! Max as a small child holding his sister's hand and walking through the desert.  
  
FLASH! Max and Isabel being found by the Evans.  
  
FLASH! Max sitting at school feeling all alone.  
  
FALSH! Max having his first dream about Liz, grinning in his sleep.  
  
FLASH! Max touching himself in the shower.  
  
FLASH! Max as the best man at Isabel and Alex's wedding as well as Michael and Maria's.  
  
FLASH! Max bumping into Charlie.  
  
FLASH! Max seeing Liz in the desert.  
  
Max also saw flashes, yet his were different:  
  
FLASH! Liz as a small child trying to tie her shoes.  
  
FLASH! Liz doing her homework.  
  
FLASH! Liz caring for her mother and brothers.  
  
FLASH! Liz having her first dream about Max and waking up in the morning, not remembering.  
  
FLASH! Therapy session about Liz's dreams. Her screaming at Mr. John.  
  
FLASH! Liz waking up on the plane and hugging the stewardess.  
  
FLASH! Liz watching Max approach in the distance.  
  
And then it was over. They pulled away, their hair tousled and lips puffy. Liz's eyes mirrored the passion seen in Max's. They stared at each other until Max pinched himself again.  
  
"You're in my dreams too." And then they hugged. Neither had any time or desire to think about the flashes. Max held onto Liz with his life, still scared that she might be part of a cruel dream. Liz squeezed her arms around him like a lifeline.  
  
"Ah, Max, who's this?" The voice scared both Max and Liz. They jumped yet stayed in their embrace. Max turned his head slightly to meet the confused eyes of Michael Geurin.  
  
"What are you doing? Who is this?" Michael repeated. He nodded his head to Liz who's cheek lay against Max's chest. Max felt his eyes light up and a real, true smile grace his face. "This is Liz Parker, my soul mate."  
  
Michael gasped. How many times over the years had he heard Max babble on and on about the woman in his dreams, the woman whom he had dubbed 'Liz'? How many times had he felt sad that Max would never find Liz? How he was wrong! Now as he looked at the parts of Liz he could see (she was still pushed against Max) he noticed that she fit Max's description perfectly. OH MY GOD!  
  
"Wow, Max, wow. You were right all along. Liz IS real! Wow, congratulations, man. Amazing."  
  
Max and Liz were kissing again. Michael stepped back from the passionate 'face-sucking,' as Isabel always called it. He had never, ever, seen Max act this way!  
  
He turned to see Dave, Nat, Pete, and Katrina walking over to them all. They looked amused and a bit uncomfortable. Max and Liz looked like they were about to tear each other's clothes off. Katrina looked plain confused. What the heck was going on between Liz Parker and Max? She turned to Michael and whispered, "What are they doing?"  
  
Michael chuckled, "Kissing, can't you tell?" He grinned and cleared his throat, "Max, Liz, this is the other part of our search party." Michael looked at the couple. They seemed not to have heard him. They just kept on kissing. Don't they have to breathe?! thought Michael. He cleared his throat again, louder. "HELLO MAX AND LIZ!!!!!!" Michael's scream did not go unheard this time. Max and Liz lifted their faces slightly apart. Then, like they had only just noticed other people watching them, Max and Liz grew incredible blushes. Both made small tries to separate themselves yet failed miserably. After about two minutes, the two finally became comfortable in a position. Max had his arm draped snugly over Liz's shoulder. She had one arm around his lower back. Their other hands were kept intertwined in front of them. They forced their gazes away from each other as Max gave Liz a small kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Okay, now that you have become 16 again, I would like to introduce you all." Michael said smugly. "Liz," he pointed to Max's other half, "I'm Michael, Max's best friend. This is Dave, Pete, Natasha, and Katrina I believe you already know."  
  
Liz nodded slightly to all of them in turn. A few seconds passed. Max looked at Liz and then at Katrina, "Liz…" He sighed contentedly, "Liz, how?" No one seemed to get what Max was saying except Liz. She leaned into him, their eyes locked. "Joshua Parker is my little brother. I met Katrina on the street when walking a few days ago and she asked me to join the search party that had already been set up for Joshua."  
  
"You've been in Roswell all this time?" Max asked, yet he already knew the answer from the flashes. He just wanted to hear Liz speak again.  
  
Liz knew what Max wanted. Her words came out soft, like dripping honey. Max lapped up every drop. "I just came over from Washington. I lived there after college. I came to Roswell, where the rest of my family lives, to help the search for Joshua and calm my mother."  
  
Max leaned his forehead against Liz's. She sighed. As much as we'd love to watch you guys cuddle," Pete interrupted the moment, "We are all still here to look for Joshua. Shouldn't we get started?"  
  
Max and Liz came back to Earth slightly, their minds staring to think about the task still ahead. They decided to brake into groups of twos and three: Dave and Nat, Katrina, Michael, and Pete, and lastly Max and Liz. Everyone figured they wanted some time alone. How right they were.  
  
Author's note: I didn't make up the great phrase 'kissing like they just invented it.' I took it from one of my favorite books by Philip Pullman, The Tiger in the Well. I just love it. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve  
  
Walking across the desert grasses and sands, Max and Liz kept their arms around each other. Sometimes they talked, whispering just to hear the other one speak, sometimes they kissed, leaning towards one another and letting their lips meet for seconds, and sometimes they just walked silently, enjoying how their legs kept the same pace and the sound of their soft breath came at the exact same time. Yet however happy both of them were, Max and Liz were also still working through the steps that had brought the two together.  
  
Max was wondering how in all his life in Roswell, he had never seen Liz. She had lived in the same town as a child, and although she went to a private school, shouldn't he have noticed her somewhere, sometime? There were only so many people in Roswell, New Mexico.  
  
And Liz, unknown to Max, was actually wondering the exact same thing. Why had she never seen him at the Crashdown Café or around the town? Some things just seemed so strange. Liz made a mental note to talk to Max about this when both their minds were functioning more fully. Max! He was hers for real now; they would be a couple, they could date! Simple luxuries like knowing what Max was wearing or doing each day made Liz so excited. Their love was so, so… pure, Liz thought, struggling for a definition. It wasn't like they were innocent children or anything, it was just that their relationship was so fresh and so focused. There weren't any Jerry Springer problems: no one was pregnant, no on was cheating, no one was a secret homosexual prostitute…Life was good! It was almost like they were meant to be, like Max had said "soul mates." They were each other's destinies. After all, hadn't life led them to each other without Liz and Max knowing so? It was fate, beautiful, amazing, fate. All those unexplained feelings, those triggers to call Mom, the way she blurted out coming to Roswell so fast; Liz hadn't even thought about it, yet she was being led to Max anyway. Yet by whom? Who was leading her and sending those signals?  
  
Max's thoughts again followed the same path as Liz's. That day he had met Charlie, Liz's brother when he had been precisely thinking about Liz! And the feelings that had been pulling him into town… could Liz have been in town right then? A spark of realization hit Max. Maybe he hadn't been drawn to Joshua that day with Michael in the desert, maybe he had been drawn to Liz.  
  
He had to confirm it. "Liz?" Max whispered to the beautiful woman on his left.  
  
"Mmmm?" She looked up at him with a look of amazed love, like she couldn't quite believe he was standing right next to her.  
  
"Liz, three days ago I was searching for Joshua in the desert with Michael and I kept getting this feeling that was drawing me into Roswell. It was like something was calling me from there. Where you in Roswell a couple days ago?"  
  
Liz smiled lightly. "Yes, I was."  
  
Max returned her smile. "I think fate was pulling me towards you." Liz felt a burst of surprise. Max had just said exactly what she had been thinking about!  
  
"I think so too, Max. Like right before I saw you this morning, my whole body was shaking. I knew something or someone was coming, I could feel it. And someone was." She whispered softly, "It was you."  
  
"I felt the exact same thing right before I saw you too. My arms and legs were shivering, but I wasn't cold. My whole body had a life of it's own! And then, the most amazing thing is, it went away as soon as I became close to you! Because a few seconds later I saw you by the car."  
  
Liz kissed him lightly. Max kissed her eyelids and her button nose.  
  
And then they heard a scream. It wasn't loud, yet it was filled with pain and agony. Max and Liz had pulled away at the sound, and now Liz was looking extremely scared. "Max! That's Joshua's voice! I know it!"  
  
Max looked at her for a second before grabbing her hand and running off in the direction the sound had come from. About 60 feet later, Max and Liz saw a small opening into a cave. It was so discrete that if just glanced upon, wouldn't raise an eyebrow. Max and Liz exchanged a worried look. They could hear hurried breathing coming from inside the cave. And a quick snapping sound followed by a moan on pain and faster breathing.  
  
Before looking at each other once more, Max and Liz squirmed inside the cave entrance and fell on their hands and knees facing two men, a whip, and a terrified boy.  
  
Liz raised herself quickly. She ran over to Joshua who was clumped against the cave wall. His eyes were rolled back and tiny tears were dried along his cheeks. His pants had been torn up, his feet bloody and mangled. He was missing two toes. The stubs were only evident under the crusted blood and new gashes. Liz rushed her hands all around Joshua's face, "Wake up, Josh! You're okay! Lizzy's here!" She put her hand over the blood forming on his chest. The whip marks had hit hard and long, rapping themselves around Joshua's small frame.  
  
Max had lunged at the guns by the side of the cave. He brought them both to each hand and inched closer to Liz and Joshua, keeping the pistols pointed at the two men.  
  
The men were still dressed in suits, yet the color was faded and the cuffs worn. The agents had been caught by surprise, having been pretty preoccupied with the whip, as it had turned out to be pretty hard to control. Before they could do a thing, Liz was already at Joshua's side and Max at the knapsacks. Now he held their two guns and they a knife and whip.  
  
As Max reached Liz and Joshua, he stood in front of them. He would not loose Liz or Joshua before he had given his own life first. Yet as he looked at the men's expressions, he became a bit scared. Both men had huge smiles plastered on their face.  
  
One man said in a hollow and cracked voice, "They're empty."  
  
Max was confused for a second before he saw the man's gaze lift to the guns. Damn! As Max shook them lightly he realize they were right, the guns weren't loaded with a single bullet.  
  
The taller man shifted his grip on the long whip. The shorter man brought a knife out of his pocket. The silver of the blade caught a beam of sun from outside the dim cave and shone for a second. Max put the guns in his jacket pocket. Liz stood up beside him, shielding Joshua behind them.  
  
Stalling time, Max asked angrily, "Why the hell did you kidnap an innocent little boy?"  
  
His voice was menacing and confident, even without a weapon.  
  
The taller man grinned slightly. "This boy," he said emphasizing 'boy,' "is an accomplice to aliens." He took a step forward. Max did too, unafraid to close the distance between them. "He works with Them. He's friends with one of Them-"  
  
"So?" Max challenged angrily. "What's wrong with aliens?"  
  
"They're here to kill the human race! They want to take over Earth! People have been abducted and tortured!" It was the shorter man who had cried this.  
  
Max gave a deep laugh that surprised them all. "Kind of what you're doing now."  
  
"We're trying to cleanse the planet! Aliens are evil and so is anyone who associates with them! Don't you see? You're just making this worse for yourself!"  
  
"Then why don't you kidnap aliens and not innocent kids?"  
  
"Because it's easier to work from within their weaknesses! Some of them actually like the idiot humans who talk to them." The taller man took another step forward.  
  
"You're lying." Liz stood forward too. "That's not why you've only kidnapped humans. You're afraid. Afraid of what the aliens will do to you." Her words echoed loudly.  
  
"They're dangerous. They can do horrific things."  
  
Max took the guns out of his pocket and dropped one of them. It hit the floor with a deafening bang that caught the men's attention. "I am an alien."  
  
The men looked scared for a second and then skeptical. "Nice try, human. You're going to die no matter-" The agent was cut off because Max had taken the gun he was till holding and transformed it into knife. A knife was jagged edges and a longer blade than the agents'. The two men gasped. "You're one of Them, you freak!" The smaller man started stepping backward, frightened. The taller man made a lunge for Max, hitting him at his ankles and driving them to the floor.  
  
"Max!" Liz called, trying to snatch the agent off of him. The man's knife made a slash at Liz but she backed away in time. Max called out to her, "Take Joshua and go! I'll handle them and meet up with you!"  
  
Liz hesitated as Max continued to wrestle around with the taller man. The other agent was backed up against the cave wall, muttering "alien, alien." Liz took some ropes by a wall and ran to the smaller agent, tying him against a large rock as he whimpered softly. Right before she left, Liz whispered in his ear, "I'm an alien too. If you move I'll kill you with my death ray eyes!" The agent held still.  
  
Liz then ran to Joshua and grabbed him across the middle. She brought him outside the cave and ran back in. There was no way she was leaving Max with that psycho.  
  
Max kept his hand on the agent's knife, making sure he couldn't use it. As he fought to keep the man from using his other hand to choke him, Max tried to focus his powers. All he needed to do was connect. The second he was connected, Max could pick a blood vessel and pop it. This way the agent would be knocked out and easy to arrest.  
  
But he couldn't concentrate. Every time Max felt the connection start to grow, he was thrown off guard by a punch on push from the agent.  
  
And then he heard a call. It wasn't spoken out loud… Max knew he had heard it from inside himself. Someone was telling him something. As he opened his mind fully he heard a female voice clearly, "Concentrate Max, you can do it. I'll help you." He knew it was Liz. Without looking up to search her face, Max focused on Liz's voice and the body of the agent. And then all of a sudden, he was in. The connection was there! He had no time to ponder how fast the connection had sprung up, Max quickly began to search for a medium sized blood vessel. Finding an appropriate one in seconds, Max popped it with his mind.  
  
The man fell still, totally out cold. His hands loosened off Max's neck, his legs falling still. Max stood up and looked around. And sure enough, Liz was a few feet away, smiling grimly at him.  
  
He took a few steps towards her, his body tired and his mind strained from forcing the connection. Liz wrapped her arms around Max's body as he let his head lean against hers for a second. Then they walked out of the cave to meet Joshua.  
  
Seeing her little brother, Liz broke free from Max and picked Joshua up. He was so thin and small! Liz thought sadly. She let a small tear fall down her cheek as she cradled Joshua to her chest. Max took a step from Liz and Joshua. He focused him mind once again, this time tying desperately to reach Michael's consciousness. Three hours later Michael parked by Liz's house. Liz was still holding Joshua, leaning against Max in the back seat.  
  
After Max had painstakingly contacted Michael, Max and Liz had checked on the two agents. They were still asleep and tied up, and they stayed that way even as Michael and the others arrived to bring the agents into the car and to the police station. There, Michael had explained that Liz and Max had been walking around the desert when they had heard Joshua's call. One of the agents had knocked his head against a rock and Max had tied up the other. Then Liz had called Michael on her cell phone. The police seemed to buy this story as they took the two agents into jail. After finishing that, Michael had driven Liz, Max, and Joshua to Liz's house to notify her family.  
  
Liz stepped out of the car and knocked on her front door. A few minutes later, Mrs. Parker answered the door, screamed, and fainted. Liz fanned her mother until the poor woman woke up.  
  
"My God! My baby! He's home! My beautiful baby!" Mrs. Parker had taken Joshua into her arms. She ran her fingers lovingly over Joshua's mangled legs. Tears fell off her cheeks at an alarming rate.  
  
"Mom," Liz cried as she hugged her mother. "I have to show you some people. They helped me find Joshua." Liz's mother nodded and turned to see two men sitting silently in a car. They looked somber and tired. "This is Michael Guerin and Max Evans." Liz gave Max a private smile as she paused at his name. "Mom, they can help Joshua. You'll have to trust them."  
  
Mrs. Parker just nodded. Anything to help her baby. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Author's Note: I'm sorry I took SO long to post this chapter! I've been taking finals at school so I haven't had much time to think. I also kept changing this chapter as I was never very happy with it. Not to mention the problem with fanfiction being down and going on vacation. I've already finished the whole story, and there will only be one more chapter after this one. I'll post it soon. Thanks to everyone that's enjoyed the story so far! Your reviews mean everything to me! Even it you hate it, tell me! Constructive criticism would be helpful. Also note, that I still have not figured out how to get italics into fanfiction (arrggg!) so I've just decided to use stars (*). A word surround by two stars means it's italicized. Thanks!  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
Joshua lay on the Parker's peach couch. His head rested against the sofa armrest and his legs were supported by the pink plush. His eyes were squinted closed in an expression of unmistakable pain.  
  
Around the agonized teenager kneeled two anxious women and two focused men. On the carpet a few feet away sat two young boys and piles of used tissues. Every few minutes the anxious women used their tension to grip the seat cushions on the couch. They fixed their gazes at both Joshua and one of the men, a man with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes.  
  
Max felt sweat trickle down his forehead as he looked at Joshua. So much pain, he thought desperately, so much pain for one innocent boy. He could only hope his fingertips would heal Joshua. At least heal the physical wounds. Max knew that nothing could heal the mental pain Joshua would live with the rest of his life.  
  
Shaking, Max brought his hands down upon Joshua's heaving chest. He focused his energy and being on the boy. He had to heal him. Yet Max felt his attention wavering; his energy wasn't enough to form a connection! Again Max's powers had failed him! Before you couldn't connect with the agent, and now you've failed to heal him! Max thought miserably.  
  
Looking at Max, Liz saw his eyes constrict in concentration. She saw a single tear drip down his cheek. Max couldn't do it; he couldn't form the connection with Joshua. Liz lifted her hand onto Max's shoulder. Max's eyes flew open at the feel of Liz's touch. He looked into her eyes with thanks and understanding. Liz just smiled lightly at him. Her love gave him strength.  
  
Again, Max closed his eyes and placed his palm on Joshua's chest. This time the connection was strong and fast, the blow hitting him from all sides. All of a sudden he could hear three heartbeats. Two were strong and fast, beating to an identical rhythm. The third heartbeat was soft and sparse. Joshua's heart seemed to be fading away into the distance like the end of a long song.  
  
Quickly Max felt his inner eye search around for the cause of Joshua's fading heartbeat. He felt torn tissue and ripped lungs. Max used his willpower to mend the inner organs, all the while feeling Liz's energy aiding him.  
  
Mrs. Parker and Michael saw Max's hand move to Joshua's legs. Under Max's palm, Joshua's bruises disappeared with a green glow. Josh's skin became pink with life again, his legs realigning themselves. Max's hand moved to Joshua's bare feet. And then those too, were healed. Miraculously, two toes regrew themselves on Josh's feet.  
  
Mrs. Parker's hand was covering her amazed face. She was witnessing a miracle! Oh my God!  
  
Max moved his hand up to Joshua's face now, still keeping his eyes closed. Within seconds, Josh's body was like new; his skin glowed with a new and healthy light. His eyes flew open and met Max's wet ones. There was a moment of silence and then Josh sat up and hugged Max.  
  
Liz took her hand off Max's shoulder and watched within tears herself, the emotional embrace between her soul mate and brother. Then the two broke apart and the room reverberated with chocked sobs from mother, brothers, lovers, and friend. Joshua embraced everyone in turn. Mrs. Parker brought Max into her arms too, shaking her head in astonishment.  
  
"I don't know what you did, but thank you for it. Thank you for saving my little boy. I truly witnessed a miracle today." Max blushed crimson and wiped a few tears from his eyes. He brought Liz into his arms and said to Mrs. Parker, "It was Liz who gave me strength. You should be thanking for daughter and your son for showing such incredible will." There were more hugs at this as everyone let the tears fall freely from their starved eyes.  
  
*  
  
The tick of the grandfather clock was the only sound Max heard. The small 'tick tick tick' was soft and continuous as it lulled him to sleep. Max leaned into the loveseat as he wrapped his arms tighter around his sleeping soul mate. The warmth radiating off Liz was immeasurable as she cuddled into Max. They lay on a loveseat couch, Max on the bottom and Liz stretched out on top of him, her hair tickling his nose and her cheek lain upon his chest. With each breath Max took, Liz followed his movements, floating up and down on top of him. And then Max felt the soft pull of gravity on his eyelids. Deep slumber was upon him. Max surrendered himself to it and was pulled into the dark softness of sleep. Tomorrow would be another day.  
  
*  
  
The next morning a joyful call awoke both Max and Liz: "Breakfast is ready kids! Wake up!" Liz stirred and opened her eyes. She was almost surprised to find herself lying on top of Max, as she had started out beside him the night before. Softly, Liz rubbed her eyes and glanced down upon her Max. He looked so cute, his hair tuffled and his dimples showing. Liz leaned her head down to Max's ear, "Wake up, my Max. My mom's made us breakfast," Liz cooed. She watched Max open his eyes and groan as he found Liz on top of him yet again. Max pulled her into his arms and rolled her over until Liz was below him and Max above. Liz laughed playfully at Max's manipulation. Max grinned and leaned down for a sweet kiss. However the second their lips met that sweet kiss turned from soft to hard and passionate almost instantly.  
  
Walking into the living room to wake Liz and Max up, Mrs. Parker wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. She was just about to remind her daughter and Max Evans that breakfast was indeed ready, when she saw them. The kitchen towel dropped and Mrs. Parker's eyes widened. Her Lizzy was eating this man alive! They were kissing so openly and passionately that a stranger might think them very close lovers. Wait! They weren't close lovers were they? Hadn't Liz just met this man? Nancy cleared her throat, "Ahem, Max, Liz, breakfast is ready."  
  
The two lovers broke apart quickly and stared guiltily at Mrs. Parker. Liz tried to get off Max and explain, "Mom." But Nancy just waved her hand and smiled cryptically. Then she went into the kitchen to feed her sons.  
  
*  
  
It was later that day that Max and Liz felt comfortable enough to set off alone. Life was showing them that no matter how important others' concerns seemed to be, their love for one another and their need to be alone always seemed to resurface. Max and Liz had spent the morning having breakfast with Joshua and the Parkers. Things had been quiet, only the occasional clatter of a fork on a plate or the soft chewing of pancakes heard as Max and the Parkers ate in thoughtful silence. It had been nice, too, when Charlie had suggested they give a prayer after all the pancakes had been eaten. Though never a very religious person, Nancy was starting to feel a new drive to the answers that God seemed to provide. As she started the prayer, Nancy's soft but quivering voice again showed her immeasurable love for her son.  
  
It was only when Joshua asked to be excused to his room, did people start to scatter their own ways. Liz's brothers went to go play, their innocence and naïve character evident to all the adults. Mrs. Parker had refused the help of Liz or Max to wash the dishes; she too seemed to need more time alone. So, with everyone off on their own, Max and Liz were finally left to mull things over themselves. Liz had suggested a walk, and Max had silently agreed, knowing that they still had a lot to talk about, Joshua excluded.  
  
"Max?" Liz tilted her head backwards to look up into Max's eyes as they walked together.  
  
"Mmm?" his eyes spoke volumes, and Liz felt the strange sensation that she didn't need Max to speak to understand him. He wanted her to be open and let out all of her concerns. He wanted to nurse her worries and quench her fears. He wanted her to share her life. And in a way she already had.  
  
"Let's sit down here so we can talk properly," Liz motioned with her hand to a soft piece of grass on the Roswell Park. The two sat down together, Liz leaning back into Max's warm chest.  
  
"Max, we have so much to talk about, so much to still work out."  
  
"I know, Liz." He spoke her name deeply drawing out the sounds as he turned her around until she was facing him, brown eye to brown eye. "Liz, we've been connected for years. I saw you in my dreams every night since I was a teenager." He smiled apologetically, though he wasn't sure why. "I used to live for the nights, forgetting all about each day. I forgot to *live*, Liz. I existed only in my subconscious. That's why it's so amazing for me to be able to see you now, in the daylight, and tough you with real fingers." He drew his fingers across her cheek, almost to prove his point, and Liz shuddered slightly.  
  
Liz's deep eyes moistened. "Max, it means so much to be with you too. I haven't been suffering the way you have, living for the night. But I have been in the dark, per say, about something else. I didn't remember you, Max!" Liz's body rocked up and down as her voice rose. Max put his arms around her neck and brought her into a tight hug. "I always loved you Max, I always will, I just didn't remember for the longest time. So in a way, I also lived in the nights. It meant so much for me to finally remember your face on that plane, and then see your face *for real*."  
  
"Liz, as much as I just want to forget all that's complicated our lives and just live for the future, we have to know what it was that brought us together. Why me? Why do you love me? Why did I have dreams for years before I finally got to see you? Why have my dreams stopped?"  
  
Liz's already wide eyes seemed to grow even more. "Yours were gone too? Max, I didn't dream last night!"  
  
"Neither did I. For the first time in nine years, I didn't dream at all."  
  
"Do you think it's fate, Max? Has fate been bringing us together like this?"  
  
"No. I did that." A deep voice broke into Max and Liz's huddled conversation. Liz jumped in surprise, and Max moved quickly to cover her with his own body.  
  
"Who are you?" Max's voice, before so laced with love and confusion, was now full of authority and power.  
  
The man grinned madly. "Ah, Max. Always the leader. you take after your father."  
  
Max was up on his feet. "What do you know about my father?" He moved the now standing Liz to his side tightly.  
  
"Relax, Max." His grin, if possible, widened. "That rhymes!" He chuckled to himself and then looked at the serious couple, "Ahem, right, I will not hurt you or Liz, Maxwell, so you have no reason to fear me. I am, in all words, a friend."  
  
From Max's side came a startled sound. "I know you!" Liz exclaimed, moving closer. "Weren't you my cab driver up in Washington? And wait- yes I did- I saw you outside the Roswell airport." She paused, breathless, "Who are you?"  
  
The man chuckled. "You were always clever, Liz. But not quite clever enough to figure out *what* I am. Here, sit back down on the grass; it's such a nice day."  
  
Max and Liz sat again. The man smiled.  
  
"Let me introduce myself. My name here on Earth is Jackson Yule. I am the official keeper of your destinies." And then before Max or Liz could utter a sound Jackson continued, "I am from Antar, yes, but I'm not one of the Antarian people. I'm sort of like a spirit, as I can take many forms. In reality, I am nothing like either of you as I am neither human nor alien," His words were spoken slowly as if to make sure both Max and Liz heard him correctly, "My purpose-"  
  
"Purpose?" Liz interrupted, "Why must you make a purpose?"  
  
"Everything has a purpose, Liz. Nothing in this universe lives for no reason. Nothing is arbitrary, remember that. That doesn't mean that 'fate' controls everything, or that your lives are already planned out. No, what I mean is more complicated than can be explained. What you'll just have to accept is that every being, for the sake of argument, has a soul mate, a lover to whom you are supposed to spend your life with. It is my job, as a Guider, to try and bring these soul mates together."  
  
"Why?" Max spoke, "Can't they find each other themselves?"  
  
"I think you already know the answer to that, Max. What would you say has brought you and Liz together? Joshua? Your dreams? The AOE? Katrina?" And then as if he didn't want Max to answer, Jackson continued softly, in a stable, deep voice, "People are so confused on this planet. No one knows what to do or say, Max. You are taught what society wants you to know, and you act as society sees fit. People don't follow their own intuition anymore, no one trusts themselves. You only follow other people's orders. It's similar on Antar and so many other planets. That is why I am here. To help guide you and your soul mate together."  
  
"Did you create our dreams, Mr. Yule?" Liz asked, her scientific mind working on over drive.  
  
"No Liz. I *allowed* you to see what life was like with Max in it. You and Max created those dreams. I only helped them come as often as they did. I also nudged your inner eye."  
  
"Wait, what does that mean?" Liz asked.  
  
"It means that every being is born with capabilities beyond your ideas, Liz. You have more then seven senses, yet you don't know how to use them all. Have you ever been told that humans only use a small fraction of their brain?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I only helped you use a little more of that brain and allowed you to feel things beyond the surface. I encouraged your insight and foretelling."  
  
"I remember that when I used to see pictures of Joshua or when I shook hands with Charlie or Mrs. Parker, your mother, Liz, I would feel things.like recognition or déjà vu. Is that what you're talking about, Mr. Yule?"  
  
"Yes, Max exactly that. I hoped to jog your memory of your dreams and lead you towards Liz. Your inner eyes, too, grew stronger as you two grew closer physically."  
  
"Oh! Is that why I was finally able to remember about Max on the plane? Because I was closer to Max?"  
  
"Yes, that is part of the reason, Liz."  
  
"But why couldn't I remember Max when I was awake in the first place, when Max could?"  
  
"That Liz, is because Antarians have learned to adapt with their inner eye much more that humans on Earth have. Max's powers are just a representation that his brain is more in touch with his Self, his inner being. Humans have yet to evolve to that stage."  
  
"Oh," Liz looked slightly downcast, and Max wrapped his arms around her for strength. "And now that our dreams have left?"  
  
"You don't need them anymore. You have found each other and you no longer need the extra guidance.  
  
"I must go soon, Max and Liz. I only came to see that you two had fully found each other and that my job was done. I have others to help."  
  
"Wait, Mr. Yule," Max persisted, "you said you knew my father. Did you help him and my mother come together?"  
  
Jackson smiled. "I did."  
  
"And, one more thing," Liz lifted her chin to meet his eyes, "Have there been many out of species pairings before? Is it safe for Max and I, for Max and I to.fully love each other?" Max looked at her, and Liz felt his gaze. She stared at Mr. Yule.  
  
Jackson smiled again. "Love in any form will find a way to be together. There have been many *unusual* pairings in my day. Human and alien.don't worry, Liz. You and Max will be able to experience everything you desire together. Just remember that I don't create the love between you two, you do, I just guide it."  
  
And in that split-second he was gone. Just like that.  
  
They sat together, still in each other's arms, for a few minutes, just to catch their breath. Liz knew she still had much to think about on her own. In fact, she was sure that she would never quite understand everything Jackson had said in this lifetime. So Max turned her in his arms to look into those eyes he loved so much.  
  
"Liz. I love you now and forever. Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"  
  
"Oh, Max!" Liz sighed as she pushed her lips against his. Between soft kisses she whispered, "I love you."  
  
And he was so happy. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Author's Note: Here's the last chapter of 'You're in my Dreams'. Thanks to all the reviewers!  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
"OH MY GOD!!!!!" Maria's shrill scream caused Michael to grin even more. "I can not believe it! Not THE Liz? Not Max's Dream Girl Liz??!!"  
  
"It's true Maria, there they were sucking faces like hell had frozen over!"  
  
Maria still couldn't get a grasp on what Michael had been telling her for the past fifteen minutes, that Max had finally found his Dream Girl. Maria started pacing around the kitchen much to Michael's amusement. "Our Max. Max Evans. Our quiet and distant leader, Isabel's brother, the guy who hasn't had a date in about ten years.has found LIZ? It's unbelievable. I mean are you sure Michael?" And then plunging on before Michael could answer his wife, "I mean I'm so happy for him! For them, I mean. God knows Max deserves some happiness." Maria flung her arms around Michael, "Oh Michael, finally! I've got to tell Isabel and Alex!"  
  
Michael reached across her for the phone and Maria grabbed it violently. She pressed a number on her speed dial and then started pacing the kitchen again.  
  
"Hello? Alex? Hey it's me." Maria paused for a second.  
  
"Yes it's something big. Huge actually. No, no, nothing bad.Well, it's Max. He's found *her*." She paused again, clearly listening to Alex.  
  
"Yes! He found his Dream Girl and now she's become Reality Girl! I know, I know! It's so exciting.okay tell Isabel and then you guys have to come over. Yes, yes, we've got to meet her I know. I'm sure she's deserving of Max, Alex.I've got to go, Michael still hasn't told me about Joshua. Okay, I'll fill you in when you get here. Bye Alex." And Maria hung up, radiating with happiness and mischief.  
  
*  
  
"Ring! Ring! Ring! Riiinnnngggg! Riiiinnnnngggg! Ring Rinnnngggg! Ring! Ring! Riiiinnnnnggggg!"  
  
Max rolled his eyes, already knowing who was so abnoxiously ringing his doorbell.  
  
"Hello, Maria," Max grinned as Maria looked a bit sheepish. Behind her outside were a very excited Alex Whitman, an exasperated Isabel Whitman, and an annoyed Michael Geurin.  
  
Max stepped back, allowing his friends to huddle into his apartment. "Um, guys as excited as I am to see you, I'm kind of exspecting someone. Maria looked ready to explode, having started jumping up and down. Isabel, too, seemed to have grown sausers for eyes.  
  
"It's true then? Max? That you found Her?" Max looked startled and then turned to Michael who was flipping through one of his magazines on the sofa. He met Max's eyes for a second and winked. Max smiled.  
  
"Yes. It's true. Liz and I have found each other. And we-" But he couldn't finish as the second he had spoken Maria had started sqweeling as she hugged him tightly. Isabel too, grabbed Max and gave him a hug. Alex grinned and grabbed Max's hand to shake it wildly. "I knew it, man! Liz is *real*. It's mind blowing, I mean like, wow!" And Max found himself smiling with his friends, totally lost in the moment.  
  
After his serious day with Jackson Yule and Liz, things had seemed slow and purposeful, the epitome of learning about the whole universe in thirty minutes. Jackson's speech had hit Liz the hardest, that he knew. What was it like to be a scientist and then have the meaning of life practically thrown at you? He knew Liz was trying to deal with it all as she took a shower back at her home. He could practically feel the water cascading down her back. Max shivered.  
  
But now it was time to let loose with Maria. He wanted to giggle and laugh until his sides hurt. Things were becoming normal now. Sure, there was still lots to talk about, but in general, Max's life had taken a happy turn.  
  
The five friends sat around Max as he told them a little of his relationship with Liz. He didn't want to share everything, just some of what she meant to him. "And she's more beautiful than I ever dreamed guys, I mean I thought she was amazing in my dreams, but in real life, I mean woa."  
  
A familiar voice answered from the front door. "Your not so bad yourself, Handsome." Liz's red cheeks told Max she's probably heard a lot of what he'd been saying.  
  
Max jumped from his seat and rushed over to hang up her coat. She smiled at him, an open and appreciative smile, and Max felt rather than understood, that Liz had accepted Mr. Yule's information. His smile back was breathtaking. She leaned upward on her tip toes to kiss his lips gently. Max took her hand and led the beauty to his friends.  
  
The couple's soft greeting was not lost on Alex and Isabel, who sat watching on the sofa. They shared a look and then turned back to Liz, fully accepting the woman who had stolen Max's heart so early.  
  
Liz smiled and shook everyone's hand as Max introduced his friends. When Liz greeted Maria, however, Maria pushed Liz's hand away and took Liz into a full hug. Jumping up and down with Liz in her arms, Maria exclaimed, "Oh Liz! Welcome to Roswell! You mean so much to all of us! We're so happy to see you! Max has spoken of nothing else since he was seventeen!"  
  
Later that evening, as the six friends sat around Max's kitchen table, Liz felt she truly belonged. Maria and her seemed like lost sisters as they chatted excitedly about clothes and work. Isabel appeared more reserved, but as Liz talked with her too, she saw the genuine feeling in Isabel's character. Alex was another lost brother! Liz laughed at his goofy jokes and found herself, more then once, opening up about everything and anything to this amazing guy. Michael, though quieter than the others, smiled at Liz a couple times from across the table before turning away. Liz couldn't get over how comfortable she felt with all of Max's friends. It was like she had always belonged, meant to be friends with them all. Isabel too, felt herself thinking that Max finally had found a pair. Each alien had found true love in a human, and now their group was complete. Six best friends; three pairs of lovers.  
  
After the dishes had been cleaned away everyone reclined around the living room. Satisfied grunts could be heard from Michael, who currently had his arm around a snuggled Maria. Isabel and Alex were sitting in one of the armchairs talking quietly.  
  
On a love seat, Max and Liz were cuddled together in a way that an onlooker might not be sure where Max ended and Liz began. Their tumble or arms and legs were drawn together with Liz leaning her head on Max's shoulder. Max checked his watch; it was past eleven. He absently stroked Liz's hair, picking up the soft strands of brown to marvel at their silkiness. Liz sighed.  
  
"How was your shower this afternoon, Liz?" he whispered into her ear. Max's hot breath in her ear awoke parts of Liz's body she had forgotten about in the past couple hours. She felt her body respond to his, shivering in desire. The room seemed to raise a few degrees in temperature before Liz registered what Max had said.  
  
"My shower? How did you know I took a shower Max, when I never told you? My hair isn't wet," she whispered back to him turning her head to meet his. Their breathing was ragged, with their faces so close, and Max fought to think straight.  
  
"I.I.I don't know. I just, um, felt, it when you were at you mom's house. I just knew that you were under the hot water, na-" But he couldn't go on. The realization that he had felt her presence in the shower overpowered Max and he leaned in to meet Liz's soft lips. She kissed him eagerly, opening her body and soul to him.  
  
As their kiss grew with intensity, so did their feelings. Max could feel Liz's love for him pouring into his heart and mind from all sides. Liz too, was beginning to notice the prescence of Max's emotions *inside* her. Max knew what Liz needed and so he deepened their kiss, mimicking how he wanted to take her body with his tounge. That set Liz over the edge and she too felt Max's love envelope her and consume her whole being. Her whole body felt alive and so, *right*. Everything with Max seemed natural and meant to be.  
  
They didn't want to stop, and Liz's hands began to wander Max's back, before some violent coughing separated them. Isabel, Alex, Michael, and Maria were all sporting identical grins as they got up and hugged Liz and Max before leaving the apartment, knowingly.  
  
And then they were all alone. Taking advantage of her brain (as she wasn't sure she'd be able to use it soon), Liz voiced what they were both thinking since their kiss, "We can feel each other's feelings." Max nodded. "I know how you feel about me Max, about us." Max titled her forehead against Liz's. "I never thought I would ever find someone so amazing to love me so unconditionally. Thank you."  
  
Her words amazed him. "Liz, loving you is all I know. I can't imagine a life without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you. Thank *you*." Liz made a move to kiss him again, but Max stopped her slowly. "As much as I want to spend tonight with you, Liz, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself when we start kissing again. I, I just don't have much more self control left, do you understand?"  
  
Liz nodded and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I understand Max. But do you want to know what I think about our, um, connection?"  
  
Max kissed her forehead and then her nose. "Yes, what have you discovered, my Liz?"  
  
"Well," Liz moved her hands animatedly, and Max couldn't help loving her all the more, "I think that as we become closer, um, physically, our emotions and our connections grow mentally. We're mentally connected to each other, Max. And I think that connection grows with our bodies."  
  
"Body, soul, and mind. That makes a lot of sense."  
  
"So, if we were to, you know-"  
  
"Make love," Max supplied.  
  
"Yes, when we make love our connection should become very deep. Perhaps, permenant." Liz blushed slightly and Max smiled. They were adults of course, and neither virgins, but making love to each other seemed different they anything either of them had experienced before. Max thought, that when they made love, they would create a lifelong bond, throughout all parts of their being. Their bodies would join as would their minds and souls.  
  
*  
  
It was about two weeks later that things had pretty much al gone back to normal. At the Parker's, Joshua had slowly begun adjusting to life, with many visits with his friend whom he had protected, Rob Stein. Mrs. Parker, out of respect for Max and her son, had never mentioned Joshua's unnatural healing. She had also fully accepted Liz's relationship with Max. Liz had decided to stay in Roswell, and was having her belongings shipped from Washington.  
  
Liz had been spending almost every day with Max. They took long walks around the desert, exploring caves and testing their connection. Their kisses were becoming more and more out of control each day; each time it was harder to pull away and resist going further. Their desire seemed to spark the air everywhere they went and the lightest touch from Max could set Liz on fire. Their minds followed their bodies as Liz had predicted, and they found their connection growing with time as well as their intimacy. Far away, Max and Liz felt they could slightly sense each other's emotions, yet close together, their separate thoughts were thoughts shared. It was enough to feel one's own desire, and so, when Max felt Liz's own longing to make love, sometimes it seemed unbearable to hold back. But he wanted their first time together to be special, and so with their desire getting stronger and stronger with each day, Max set off to conduct a plan for them to be together.  
  
"Michael, could you help me out with something?" Max asked his best friend later that day.  
  
"Sure, man. What's on your mind?"  
  
"Well I want to take Liz somewhere special, you know, show her how much I love her."  
  
"Max, I think Liz knows how much you worship the ground she walks on. You guys are practically inseprable."  
  
"I know, I just remember something that Liz had told me a while ago. She said that she's always wanted to go to Mexico."  
  
"So, are you thinking of driving there? Flying?" Michael asked, not sure what this had to do with him.  
  
"Well, I was thinking we could travel a little faster than that." This caught Michael's attention and he looked up at Max, "what do you mean, Maxwell?"  
  
"I've just sort of discovered that as Liz and I have grown closer, our connection has too." Max and Liz had told Michael and the gang about their connection at one of their group meetings. Max continued, "And along with our connection, my alien powers seem to be growing." Michael stood up.  
  
"What?! When you mean growing, like how much do you mean? How fast? Maxwell, what's going on that you haven't told us?" Max regretted telling Michael anything now. Michael had never exactly been the reasonable one of the group.  
  
"Look Michael, I've only discovered that with Liz comes this extra surge of power that enables me to use my powers differently. For example," Max spoke ignoring Michael's warning face, "for example, I've noticed that I can alter my own atoms and transfer them somewhere else."  
  
"WHAT?!!!!! Now I'm no science wiz like you Lizzy, but are you telling me that you can disappear and then reappear SOMEWHERE ELSE?"  
  
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, Michael. Just calm down. I'm sure I can teach you later. But I didn't come to you so you could freak out. I came for your help. I have only tried Appearing in rather close places, like across town for instance. I want to be able to Appear in Mexico. And I want to bring you with me so I can bring Liz the same way."  
  
After much further explanation and some more screams of 'WHAT?' from Michael, Max finally enlisted his help. The two started small, like within the house, and then worked on Appearing in another state. Michael worked as Max's spotter; he would stay as Max disappeared and then call back Max's atoms if anything went wrong and Max mentally contacted him.  
  
This went on for a few hours until Max was ready to try Mexico. He had to visualize the exact place he wanted to Appear, and then nudge his atoms until they arrived. He could find no better way to explain it. A split second later, Max found himself on a sunny beach in Mexico. The sand sunk beneath his sneakers and he breathed in the fresh salt air. He disappeared back to Michael and then began to work on bringing someone else along.  
  
It was hard mental work to nudge two people's atom particles, yet it became easier with each try. Michael was happy doing nothing to arrive in Mexico, as he whistled out into the ocean. It was like a free trip.  
  
A bit later the two guys were tired. Having had enough with work, Max and Michael shed their clothes until they were only wearing their boxer and then jumped into the warm waves of Mexico. They were just splashing around and kidding each other until Michael used his power to hurl a pretty nasty fountain of water towards Max. Feeling a battle coming on, Max created a bigger wave and threw it back at his cocky friend. The secluded beach soon sounded loudly of both guys' laughing voices and mock threats.  
  
*  
  
Liz giggled. "Where are you taking me, Max?" Liz knew Max was smiling from behind her blindfold. She could feel his emotions, and he was happy; yet she could not hear his blocked thoughts. Lately, Max and Liz had become very good at opening and closing their connection, thinning the amount of emotion or thought that fell through.  
  
"You'll see, Liz." Max took her hand and guided her to the living room of his apartment. "Okay, I've been working on fine tuning my transportation skills as an alien."  
  
"Really? Has Michael been helping you? Is that why you guys have been so busy? You're being safe, aren't you?" Max chuckled, that was his Liz, always concerned about others and never her own surprise.  
  
"Liz, I promise to explain all the fine details after our trip, because now I just want you to trust me, alright? I love you and I would never let anything happen to you." Liz tried to find his cheek with her hand behind the blindfold. Max helped her and she stroked his face lightly. "I'd trust you with my life, Max. I love you. You mean everything to me."  
  
Max took a deep breath, "okay then, my Liz. Let's go." He summed his concentration and began the movement or their atoms. Liz felt the strangest sensation, like she was flying and soaring about the world. She felt like liquid or gas, not quite solid. She seemed to feel her memories and her thoughts scatter, and then just when she was starting to get worried, she felt herself ZOOM into a solid figure again.  
  
Her senses awoke. The air felt different. Lighter, and more hot. A soft breeze caressed her legs below her skirt and her hair grew thick with the humidity. The sun shone brightly on her hair as she felt the warm sensation of being directly below the sun. And then Max's fingers were moving the blindfold away from her eyes.  
  
She gasped. "Oh, Max. This is amazing." The sun was indeed shinning high, just beginning to set into the evening horizon. She was standing on the side of a secluded beach, the water washing in and out with the tides softly. She heard soft birdcalls and saw the ocean waves grow pink under the sun. The sand below her feet squished as she leaned up into Max. "Thank you, my Max."  
  
He kissed her lightly. "Welcome to Mexico," he grinned.  
  
"How did you know that I've always wanted to come here?" Liz asked, amazed.  
  
"I felt you thinking about it a few weeks ago and I've wanted to take you here since."  
  
She kissed him again then, deepening their kiss as they lowered to the sand. Max waved his hand and a soft blanket appeared below them. Liz smiled into his kiss and Max reached to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You're so beautiful, Liz." She practically attacked him then, moving so that she lay on top of him on the blanket, "flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Evans!"  
  
"I'll have to remember that," he mumbled as she again placed her lips on his. They kissed then, as their building passion ignited their feelings of connection. Max moved his hands until they could undo Liz's hair so it fell down. He ran his fingers through the soft locks as Liz played with the hair on the back of Max's neck. Those moments were soft and romantic. Their passion was slow and drawn out, their kisses long and deep. Everything but the two of them disappeared then, and the whole world became the touch of her skin or the feel of his hands. Then pulling away slightly, Liz took hold of Max's shirt and pulled it over his head. Unable to wait any more she ran her fingers slowly down his chest and he groaned.  
  
"Max," she whispered deeply. He looked deep into her eyes.  
  
"Max, make love to me." And that was just what he did.  
  
*  
  
It was a while later that two soul mates lay together on a beach in Mexico. Their breathing fell and rose together, their bodies intertwined together, and their minds fused forever, together. She lay her head on his bare chest as she looked out into the ocean, "Max?" she said.  
  
"Liz?" he answered.  
  
"I love that Joshua is healthy and happy. I love that my mother trusts and accepts us. I love Michael, Maria, Isabel, and Alex's company and the way Jackson has brought us together. I love that we are connected like this because of our love for one another. But most of all, Max, I love you, for every person you are and every person you'll grow to be. I love your laugh and your concern, your alien power, and your human compassion for all people. I love you, Max, forever and ever. You've made my life a dream come true, so in a way, you'll always be in my dreams."  
  
And he looked between his tears at the woman that he loved with all his heart. And he felt he was the luckiest man alive.  
  
  
  
The End 


End file.
